A Brand New Dawn
by whitebear-ofthe-watertribe
Summary: Now in college, Adrien and Marinette find themselves reconnecting after years apart. Marinette is a design student at the International Fashion Institute of Paris, and when faced with an impossibly difficult task, she's surprised to find herself overcoming the obstacles with his help and support. But is her heart ready to try love once again? ('A Brand New Dawn Fic' tumblr art tag)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Ladybug sat perched on top of a roof, looking out over the city. A light snowfall had started in the half hour she'd been up there. She watched the tiny flakes drift lazily to the ground, reflecting the glow from the golden lights that filled Paris.

She could hear the distant sounds of party crowds from several buildings nearby, and bobbed her head absently to the muted rhythm of Nino's music, which wafted up from the loft next door. The loft that she herself had left just a short while ago as Marinette. Smiling, she recalled how Alya had been tearing up the dance floor with their friends when she had quietly exited through the side door to get some fresh air.

Alya had just gotten back a few days earlier from half a year of studying abroad. Her journalism major had sent her to several different locations in South America, where she had written a number of pieces that were already getting publishing offers from cultural magazines. She now had only a couple semesters left to finish up her degree – with a double major in education – before she was set to graduate university a year early.

Nino had been on tour since mid-November, traveling to venues all over Europe to DJ both major events and personal concerts. Towards the end of their high school years, he had made himself a huge online presence as "DJ-Nine," and the success from his music had allowed him to skip university entirely to follow his passion in the music industry. Barely 22 and he already had a record deal with an independent label. He had made the exception to take a break and come back to Paris for a little while to see Alya, and but for the time she spent with her family and Marinette, they had been nearly inseparable.

Marinette was glad to see the two of them together again. It had been hard to be apart from her best friend for such a long time – the apartment they shared had felt incredibly lonely – but she knew it was probably even harder for Nino.

Well, not by much, but maybe a little.

The chimney she had positioned herself near was releasing a gentle stream of dark smoke. As a slight breeze raised goosebumps under her spots, she shivered and huddled a little closer to its warmth.

"Cold, M'lady?"

A voice from behind made her jump. She hadn't heard Chat Noir land on the rooftop, and she looked over her shoulder to smile up at him. He towered over her these days. He had always been taller than her, ever since they met, but somehow he had managed to grow even a few inches more in the recent years since their heroic partnership began.

"A little, but not too bad," she replied, turning her gaze back to the skyline as Chat came and brushed the dusting of snow off a small patch of shingles, settling down next to her.

"Here, try some of this," he said, and Ladybug turned her head to see him offering up a shiny silver thermos. "It always warms me right up!"

She took it from him and unscrewed the cap, catching a whiff of something sweet as she did.

"It's some mulled wine. I made it earlier. I always think it tastes like the holidays in a cup," he said with a grin.

Ladybug smiled at this, and pouring some into the cap, she took a sip.

"Mmm! Oh my gosh this is amazing!" The steaming, bitter-sweet mixture of Merlot and spices washed pleasantly over her tongue, and had an instant effect. She felt warmth tingle through her fingers, and her shivering stopped.

Chat Noir took a swig for himself right out of the thermos and sighed, content.

"I'm surprised to see you out here," Ladybug said after another sip, "I would've thought that you of all people would be the _party animal_ tonight!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Chat grin at her use of the pun before answering.

"Nah, not me. I mean sure, I had to be at one earlier, but they wouldn't miss me much now. It was kind of a stuffy event, and I'm not big into that kind of thing for extended periods of time."

Ladybug nodded understandingly as he continued.

"I was considering heading to a party nearby to visit some old friends, but I kinda felt like checking the roofs for you first," he said, nudging her with his shoulder.

"Don't miss out on your fun on my account!" she exclaimed, turning to face him.

"Oh I'm not!" he assured her. "I mostly just wanted to see a couple of people. The whole rest of the party scene didn't really feel that appealing otherwise. Plus, why do you think I'd be carrying this around–" he held up the thermos "– if I wasn't hoping to run into you? This is actually the much better option," he said, nodding in a satisfied way.

A smile tugged at Ladybug's mouth, and she slowly faced forward again. It _was_ sort of a relief to have him here right now.

"And what about you? Decided you didn't want to join the party buzz?" he asked, starting to tap his foot to the beat of the distant music.

"Eh, I was just at one, too. I just needed a few moments to myself, though," Ladybug shrugged.

Truth be told, there were a number of different reasons why she didn't want to be surrounded by crowds of couples on this New Year's Eve.

It was around this time last year that Marinette had broken it off with Nathanael, after over a year of dating the aspiring graphic artist. It wasn't as if she was still pining away after Nathanael; he had always been sweet, and they had left it on decent terms. Truthfully, it had all been her own fault; the secrets she was honor-bound to keep regarding her Miraculous was what really drove them apart. It was never fair to him that she always kept her distance. But though she had seriously considered telling him the truth, it had never felt right. And even now, after that experience, it was hard to imagine finding someone she could be with without giving away the details of such a major part of her identity. How could she justify putting someone in that much danger? And even if she did get close to someone like that again, how could she ever truly know she could trust them?

Alya and Nino had both been surprised when she had first consented to going out for dinner with Nathanael. They had always something would eventually work out between her and Adrien Agreste.

Marinette had never quite gotten over her crush on Adrien as they'd gone through high school, though their friendship had solidified a bit more as the years went on. Well, she at least had the stuttering under control around him. Mostly. But his father had made him graduate in mid-autumn of their final year so as to start grooming him to enter a leadership position in the Agreste Company. And while he had remained faithfully connected to Nino (they even apparently shared an apartment together when Nino wasn't touring) Marinette hadn't seen him very much in the years since then. She'd been sad about it at first, but the more she had tried to come up with scenarios that justified seeing him, the more it became clear that they were both just moving on to live separate lives.

Even now, it had been 10 months since they she had spoken briefly with him at one of Nino's gigs. He'd had to leave the event early for a meeting with his father, both of them expressing what turned out to be an empty promise of catching up soon.

On top of old emotions getting stirred up, though, Marinette was already busy with preparations for her school's upcoming Gala, an annual student fashion exhibition held at the end of January. This assignment had begun in November. And even though they were on a holiday break, she had been using all her time either working at her parent's bakery to get ahead on rent, or constructing the garments she would need to be submitting for review the first day of the coming semester.

Unfortunately, inspiration had thus far failed her on this project, and since she wasn't pleased with the half-hearted designs she'd started to piece together, she really needed all the time she could get.

But Alya had insisted she come out with them tonight, and Marinette found that she couldn't resist. She didn't want to disappoint her best friend so soon after her return home, and she wanted to support Nino and his music.

 _'Perhaps it could be a refreshing distraction,'_ she'd thought when she finally gave in to Alya's pleas earlier that evening.

As it turned out, though, watching couple after couple join the party and get excited about sharing a proverbial "midnight kiss" was not exactly helping Marinette ring in the New Year on a high note. She had ended up feeling overwhelmed, and needed to just get away for a bit.

* * *

Adrien had been heading to Nino's party after leaving the formal, high-society event that his father had required him to attend. He'd been excited to see his best friend; they were both so busy these days, and often out of town at different times, so the occasions to hang out with each other were rare.

Apparently Alya was back in town as well, so he was looking forward to hearing her stories from abroad. And Nino had mentioned that she might be bringing Marinette. It had been so long since he'd seen her, and he still regretted that their last encounter at Nino's show had been cut short by his father's insistence that he be present at a stupid board meeting, which honestly he couldn't even remember the topic of now. And life had kept him so busy afterword that he never got the opportunity to reconnect with her.

But hopefully that would change soon; in the coming weeks, Adrien was finally going to return to his studies, and pursue a degree in business. He would, of course, continue to work for his father, but at least his schedule at the company wouldn't be quite so rigorous, and he now would have time for classes.

And, hopefully, time to see his friends more…

Chat Noir shot a sidelong glance at his spotted partner as he heard her let out a small sigh.

Her brow was furrowed into a slight frown, and she seemed to be deep in thought about something.

Usually when something was bothering either one of them, they had found a pretty good balance of talking about their problems without going into personal details. If she was staying silent tonight, he knew it was a topic too complicated to discuss without giving key specifics away.

But he wasn't about to let Ladybug spend these first few moments of the New Year with such a stoic expression.

Reaching behind him, he found that there was just enough snow to gather up into a small, lose ball in his hand. Quick as a flash, he tossed it up into the air and it landed with a soft 'poof' on top of Ladybug's head.

"OH!" She let out a shriek, jerking up straight in surprise. Turning to Chat, who was clutching his sides and shaking with laughter, she demanded "What was that for?!"

Chat looked up, but was unable to stop laughing as he took in the sight of her. A thorough snow dusting that looked like baker's flour covered her hair and shoulders. Even a small pile had rested on her nose as she pouted, her lower lip sticking out defiantly.

"You were frowning so hard that I was wondering if those forehead wrinkles were about to become permanent," he said, poking a gloved finger between her eyebrows.

"Oh _really?"_

Her frown deepened for a moment before she suddenly threw a double fistful of the powder into his own face. Blinking past the sudden cold shock, he heard her howling with mirth, and looked over to see her rolling around next to him.

"So _that's_ how we are playing it, huh?" he said, and both of them leapt to their feet.

Suddenly, they were bolting around the rooftop, dodging around the chimneys that sprouted up in their paths, and gathering snowballs as fast as they could fling them.

Several minutes later, Chat was crouched down, trying to smother his laughter as he gathered up an armful of snow, ready to bring the final blow as he heard Ladybug call, "Heeere kitty kitty!" from the other side of the chimney he hid behind.

Quite suddenly, he felt his suit collar being pulled away from his neck, and icy, wet slush went running down his back.

"YAOW!" he cried, his back arching in shock as he tried frantically and unsuccessfully to reach the chunk of ice that now rested against the small of his back, dropping his ammunition.

Ladybug was collapsed to her knees on the rooftop next to him, gasping for breath as she roared with laughter at his reaction to her ambush.

"Ooohh you should see your face!" she said, wiping away tears from her eyes.

"That was way too cruel!" he said with a huff, plopping down next to her, and pressing his back against the warm chimney in attempts to melt what was left of the ice bomb.

"Maybe, but it was still too perfect," she said shaking her head and grinning up at him.

He poked her in the ribs at that.

She giggled. Then, with a sigh and a smile, she scooted over closer to him so their arms were touching, and leaned her head onto his shoulder.

Chat smiled and rested his cheek onto her head, looking at the snowflakes melting into tiny water droplets in her hair, and admiring the way they reflected the golden city lights. He thought it looked like she had small glowing diamonds in her hair.

Chat Noir's ears perked when the music suddenly cut off, and he heard someone at the party nearby excitedly announce the countdown to midnight. A crowd of voices joined in, shouting the time away as a minute turned to thirty seconds, to twenty, to ten…

 _"Cinq, quatre, tois, deux, un… Bonne Année!"_

Cheers erupted, and the music started blaring once more with renewed enthusiasm.

Chat felt Ladybug sit up straight, and for a brief second he thought she was getting up to leave before he felt her lips brush soft and warm against his cheek.

"Bonne Année, Chat Noir," she said, smiling up at him before resting her head back on his shoulder, "And thanks. For everything."

"Bonne Année, M'lady," he replied with a smile, as heat spread across the rest of his face from where she had kissed him. He almost reached up his arm to put it around her shoulders and hold her closer, but then thought better of it, contenting himself to just enjoy the warmth of her presence, his tail curling and uncurling behind them.

"And I'm sure this is going to be the best year yet."

* * *

"I'm late! I'm late, I'm late, I'm sooo late!" Marinette muttered as she dashed around the tiny apartment, tying her hair up in a disheveled bun with one hand, and snatching up notebooks and her French Literature textbook with the other.

The first day back to classes, and she had already started the morning off wretchedly by sleeping through her alarm. If Alya hadn't finally wandered in to her room to shake her awake out of irritation at the constant beeping, she may very well have kept on snoozing the morning away.

"Channeling that 'Alice in Wonderland' rabbit, are you?" Alya said with a smirk, still cozy in her pajamas and sitting on one of their counter stools as the coffee brewed.

"Oh shush!" Marinette snapped as she stuffed everything in sight into her bag before dropping to crawl on her knees, looking desperately for her other black boot under the couch. "You don't even have class for another hour. You could at least make yourself helpful!"

"I _am_ helping, you goof!"

Marinette finally looked over at her as she pulled on her coat and scarf, and saw that Alya had prepared for her a to-go mug of coffee and a piece of toast with apricot marmalade on a napkin.

"Just because I've been gone since August doesn't mean I've forgotten how _amazingly prepared_ you always are for early morning classes. Dork."

"Oh my gosh you're the best!" Marinette gathered her bag over her shoulder and darted forward to grab her breakfast from her friend. "I seriously don't know how I survived without you!"

"Honestly me neither! I was prepared for, like, a 73% chance that I was going to come back and find you dead from a laundry mishap or something," Alya laughed, pouring her own coffee now.

"Ha ha, very funny," Marinette called as she closed the door behind her with a snap and took off for the stairwell. In all honesty, she was very glad to have her friend back.

"That 73% is a pretty accurate guess, if you don't take into consideration that I was there to keep you on track," piped up a small voice from the pocket of Marinette's bag.

"Oh hush, Tikki! I would've been fine," Marinette said indignantly as she leapt off the last landing, barged through the double doors of their apartment building, and started a brisk jog down the streets towards her 8 am Lit class.

The sky was still covered with rolling grey clouds, but at least the sun was finally making a small effort to peak through between tree branches and other buildings as it rose from the East. The streets were mostly cleared up of snow so she could move through without much fuss, but the flurries hadn't stopped their relentless attempt to blanket all of Paris since that New Year's Eve she had spent with Chat Noir. She smiled at the memory…

"Uh huh, right," the little red Kwami teased with a laugh. "Does Alya even know about the time you left that dish towel on top of the toaster and nearly set the apartment on fire? Or what about the time where you locked your keys in the apartment, and we had to wait for _four hours_ before you could sneak in without anyone around to notice Ladybug going through your window? Or there was also that time –"

"OK! You made your point!" Marinette huffed, wolfing down the last of her toast as she rounded one last corner and the building came into sight. " _Obviously_ I wouldn't tell her about _that_ one even if I could. And I made sure to get a spare key after that, so it was fine! Plus, it's not like you were much help fifteen minutes ago when I was still sleeping through that dumb alarm. I swear, one of these days I should just jury rig an air horn or something instead using my phone."

She reached the side door of the building, and wrenched it open, rubbing her fingers together to dispel the cold from the frigged handle.

"Well that Akuma last night wasn't exactly considerate of other people's sleep schedules," Tikki retorted, crossing her arms and remembering the battle which ran until almost 3 am. "It's a good thing you'd already told Alya that you'd be working in your studio late, so we've at least started the year out avoiding suspicions."

"There's that, I suppose," Marinette agreed, hurrying through the halls up to the second floor where her classroom lay.

The room had tall windows which looked out over a small square that sparkled as the sunlight hit the fresh drifts of snow. Her professor was already in the full swing of the usual first-day-of-class announcements. He gave Marinette a pointed look without pausing his speech as she nodded bashfully towards him and hurried to the back row, where her friend, Meesh, had saved her a seat.

"You're late," she whispered, handing Marinette an extra copy of the syllabus, while continuing to jot down a few notes on her own.

"And you're surprised?" Marinette said, looking over the printed schedule that spanned till their finals in May. "Did I miss anything important?"

"Not really," Meesh replied. "He decided to add on an extra book for us to read this month, though."

Marinette groaned. Of course he would. Professor Martel – an elderly man with bushy eyebrows, an impressive beard, and a temper to match – was never one to go easy on his students. He was well known for throwing extra assignments into the curriculum for the fun of it. He called it "opportunities to pad their grades" but Marinette, like everyone else, called it torture.

"But did you hear?" Meesh continued in a hush voice, brushing her long dark hair over her shoulder and leaning over to avoid bringing Martel's attention. "Apparently there is this big announcement they are going to be making in studio about the Gala at the end of this month. No one knows for sure, but there are rumors going around that it involves _Monsieur Agreste!"_

Marinette felt her stomach flip at the mention of the name. Her thoughts very suddenly turned to Adrien.

 _'Does this have something to do with him?'_ she wondered to herself, suddenly torn between the strong desire to see him, and overwhelming nervousness at the thought.

"What do you mean?" Marinette whispered, trying to push the thoughts of Adrien to the back of her mind. "Is Gabriel Agreste going to be judging our collections or something?"

"No one knows for sure yet, but I guess we'll find out this afternoon, yeah?"

Marinette nodded thoughtfully.

"Hey," Meesh continued, "Didn't you say you knew his son?"

 _"Michelle! Marinette! Will you please leave your conversation till after this class, and pay attention?!"_

The girls jumped, looking up at Professor Martel as he glared at them from the front of the lecture hall. A few of the other students snickered quietly.

Marinette settle back into her chair, looking dutifully at the board, but not really seeing it. Her mind was full of thoughts of Adrien. If what Meesh had said was true, then there _was_ a very real possibility that she might see him again. The strange thing was, she didn't really know how she felt about this prospect. It had been _so_ long since they had spent any time together…

She suddenly felt a small pressure on the side of her ankle. Looking down curiously, she saw that Tikki had leaned slightly out of her bag's pocket to put a comforting hand on Marinette's foot and offer her an encouraging smile. If anyone knew how Marinette felt about this boy, with all of her confusion and nervous hopes, it was Tikki. Marinette smiled gratefully down at her Kwami, and Tikki ducked out of sight again.

As Marinette tried to work through her thoughts around Adrien, the time dragged by. At the end of the two hour lecture, she said goodbye to Meesh, and left for her next class – History of Design – but was hardly closer to clearing up her jumbled mind. Of course she _wanted_ to see him! But the aftermath of her relationship with Nathaneael – and the difficulty of trying to keep her secrets – made her hesitate to put Adrien in her former 'crush' category. And trying to think of him in another way just felt a little... foreign.

Somewhere in the midst of taking notes in her second morning class, her mind turned to Chat Noir instead. She looked out the window at the snow and started to wonder what he was up to. They hadn't really gotten to talk the night before; any time they would have spent patroling was taken up by the Akuma battle.

She realized she wished she could talk to him now, remembering how he had known exactly how to cheer her up last time. Over the years, they had gotten very good at using vague hypotheticals to discuss their problems. He really had a knack for knowing just what to say to make her look at whatever was bothering her from a different angle, and it almost always helped her to solve her problems.

Even if his thoughtful words _were_ punctured from time to time with crappy puns.

Marinette blinked suddenly, her gaze coming into focus as movement out the window caught her eye. Almost as if her partner had heard her thoughts, there he was, leaping gracefully from one roof to the next, and heading in the direction she'd come from home that morning. She wondered if something had happened that required Ladybug's presence. But he didn't seem to be in any urgent hurry…

 _'Maybe he's just out for a late morning patrol,'_ she thought, and turned back to the lecture.

Not five minutes later however, she felt her phone buzz, and glancing down at it, she saw that it was a message from Alya.

[Alya: Girl! You need to get home ASAP!]

Marinette stared at the message for a brief second, feeling apprehensive.

 _'Maybe something_ had _happened?'_

She checked the large clock near the door; class was about to get out, so she could probably afford to wait the extra 2 minutes to avoid drawing any attention to herself. She was infamous for ducking out of classes (for good reasons, of course, but no else one knew that) so it wasn't the best idea to start out the first day back like that. Ugh, _why_ did the minute hand have to move so slow!? Her right leg started bouncing under her desk in anticipation as she stared at the seconds ticking by, willing the stupid thing to move faster.

"Alright, that's it for today! Don't forget, for Wednesday you will need –"

But Marinette never heard what she would need for the next class, having already gathered up her bag and zoomed out the door.

"Tikki, I think we need to transform!" she said as she raced out the back door of the building into a deserted alcove.

Seconds later, after a flash of rosy light, Ladybug was swinging out of there in the direction of home, and where Chat Noir had disappeared to.

Using the roofs instead of winding through the streets, she made it there in record time.

Nothing _seemed_ suspiciously wrong as far as she could tell. Deciding to take the more subtle approach, she swung into their apartment's stairwell, and Tikki released the transformation as Marinette raced up to their apartment's floor.

"Alya?!" she called as she opened the door and burst into to their place. "What's wrong is everything ok–"

Marinette didn't really know what she was expecting, but it certainly wasn't to come home and see Alya grinning at her from the kitchen as she placed two glasses of water on the counter, the first in front of Nino who sat on one of their stools, and the second in front of none other than Adrien Agreste, a smile splitting across his face.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Adrien grinned as he watched Marinette freeze by the door, a look of shock coming over her face as she stared at him.

That morning, Nino had said he was going to see Alya, and Adrien had asked if he could join, hoping to reconnect with his old friends since he _finally_ had part of the afternoon off for once. Nino had thought it was a great idea and agreed to let him tag along, saying "Hey, maybe Alya can get Mar-Bear to come as well! You haven't seen each other in ages, yeah?"

Adrien confirmed this, a giddy feeling entering his stomach. It was going to be great to have some of his favorite people together again.

It was his first time visiting the girls' new apartment, and as the three of them had chatted, he'd looked around curiously at the living room area. It was a small, comfortable place. Twinkle lights had been strung all around the walls. The plush couches were taken over by blankets and small pillows, and there were a couple of candles here and there that were releasing a warm, flowery scent. Compared to the frosty scene outside the window, it was downright cozy.

Alya had then mentioned that she'd texted Marinette to hurry home after her morning classes got out, and his anticipation grew to excitement as the minutes ticked by. It had been so long since he'd seen her…

And then suddenly there she was, her cheeks a bright pink from the cold. Her dark hair was in a messy bun that pulled to one side, with fly-aways that gently framed her face, and her bright blue eyes were wide with surprise.

Adrien found himself getting up from his stool and making his way around the counter to her, as Alya said "Oh good! That was fast, we were just wondering if you had any input for where to go for lunch!"

Marinette didn't seem to hear her.

Adrien wrapped her up in a swift hug, holding back a laugh when her heard her let out a startled squeak.

"Marinette! How are you? It's so good to see you!" he said, releasing the hug but keeping a hand on her shoulder as he regarded her happily.

Marinette stood there for another brief moment before seeming to shake herself out of her daze. Reaching her hand up to clasp his, she smiled.

"A-Adrien! I can't believe you're here!"

"Yeah! I had a little time off from work today, so I figured I'd tag along with Nino. Feels just like old times, huh?" Adrien let go of her and reached up to scratch the back of his head.

Marinette beamed up at him before suddenly whipping around to face Alya.

"What the heck was that text about!? You could've been a little bit more specific about _why_ I needed to hurry, I thought you were in trouble! I was ready to jump up and leave class early!"

"Well, we were all getting hungry, and I wanted you to hurry up and get here so we could hear your input on where to go!" Alya said, grinning slyly. "And aren't you glad you rushed your butt home?"

She nudged her elbow into Marinette's side.

Marinette's lip pouted as she glared at her friend, and Adrien noticed the pink in her cheeks from the cold didn't seem to be going away. He couldn't help but laugh as Alya raised her hands in surrender.

"Ok, ok! That was mean of me," she said, and Nino chuckled from his stool as he watched on. "But seriously. Lunch. Thoughts?"

Marinette sighed, rolling her eyes before suggesting, "What about that Café Bistro? It's close by, and I haven't been there in ages…?"

"That's what I suggested!" Nino said happily.

Adrien nodded, agreeing.

"That sounds good, let's do it."

And with that, they set off into the snowy street. Alya and Nino walked arm in arm, and were shooting jokes back and forth with Adrien as they went. Marinette trailed along on Alya's other side. As they came to a busy intersection and waited to cross, Adrien took the opportunity to casually move over and stand next to her.

"So, how's life been?" he asked. "I feel like I haven't seen you in way too long!"

"Yeah, ten months!" she laughed, but then bit her lip. "I-I mean, not that I've been keeping count or anything."

Her cheeks took on a deeper shade of pink when she said this. Adrien wondered if she was getting a little too cold, and thought momentarily about offering her his scarf before she continued.

"Life's been ok I guess. Pretty busy. School has been busy. Y'know, lots of homework and designing and… and stuff." She trailed off with a shrug as they started walking again, their lunch destination coming into sight at the end of the block.

"You're still on track for becoming a world-class fashion designer, then?" Adrien prompted.

He remembered some of the designs he had seen her do when they were younger, and had been blown away by her talent and attention to details. The career was absolutely perfect for her.

"Um yeah, I am," she said with a small but proud smile. "And what about you? How are things going at your father's company?" she asked him before he could find out anything more.

"It's been good," he said smoothly, opening the door to the café and holding it for everyone. As he closed the it behind them and they joined the line to the counter, Marinette turned to face him expectantly, waiting to hear more. "I've been working to shadow my father in a lot of management and editorial areas. Lately we have been in communications with a magazine in New York, getting ready to do a spread with them for the upcoming season. It's actually been an incredible experience, y'know? Meeting new people from all over the world, learning how to direct a team, and how everyone can bring different strengths to the table. I'm getting a lot of ideas for things that I can change and improve on for whenever I receive more authority there."

Marinette nodded encouragingly as he described it all.

They reached the counter after Alya and Nino, and Marinette ordered a small sandwich and coffee. Adrien pulled out his wallet to pay for her, but before he could, she pushed some money across the counter and went to stand out of the way to wait for her order. Ignoring the slight pang of disappointment, Adrien ordered a similar sandwich – making sure it had extra cheese – and walked over to join her. Their friends had already moved off to find them a table, so they returned to their conversation.

"Are you still modeling, then?" she asked. "I see you from time to time in magazines and advertisements, but not so much as before."

"A bit," he nodded, shrugging. "I'm doing a fraction of the amount I did during high school, but yeah. Actually, I might be doing even _less_ for the next while. You won't believe this; I've managed to convince my father to let me come back to school for my degree!"

"What!?" she exclaimed, a joyful look of excitement spreading across her face. "So that means you'll be around more often?"

"Yeah! I'll be starting classes tomorrow and attending school as a part-time student!" His pleasure at the situation mounted as he saw Marinette's reaction to the news. She clapped her hands together enthusiastically, hopping up and down in place. Her dark hair bounced across her eyes, the blue hues catching the light in a lovely way.

"What are you guys so excited about?" Alya asked. She and Nino had snagged a high table near the window, and had placed their coats and scarves over their chairs to save it. Now they were back to grab their food.

"Adrien is going to be taking classes!" Marinette told her happily.

"No way! That's awesome!" Alya said. "Did you know this?" she asked, turning to Nino as he high-fived his friend.

"Yeah! He told me last night," Nino replied grinning.

"This is so exciting!" Marinette said, still bouncing.

Adrien beamed around at them all. Their joyous responses to his returning to school made him feel, well… _wanted_. And in that moment, he was very thankful to be around some of his favorite people once again. It felt almost like coming home.

When they settled down with their food at a table, Alya and Nino sat together on one side, allowing Adrien to take a seat next to Marinette. Alya leaned into Nino as they began to eat, and with promptings from the other three, she began to share some of her stories from abroad.

Adrien listened with fascination. He had gotten to do quite a bit of traveling for his father's business, but he had yet to visit much of South America.

Alya talked for quite a while, showing them dozens of pictures on her phone.

"It was such a crazy awesome experience! Like, I learned so much from the people and from my different instructors. And the kids I worked with were just _such_ sweeties! I couldn't get enough of them, it was so much fun!" she finished, grinning at her memories. "It made me really glad I decided to add on that educational major on top of journalism."

Nino smiled at her.

"Well, we're glad to have you back!" he said, and Alya leaned over to give him a quick peck.

Adrien smiled at the two of them, glad to see them reunited. Glancing down at Marinette, he saw that she too was grinning across the table at them.

"Hey, Mar," Nino said, looking over at her, "How's prep for that Student Gala coming?"

Adrien looked around at Marinette as she shrugged and took a sip of her coffee, his ears perking. Was this the Gala that his father mentioned? He had heard that his father would be using IFA students' designs from an upcoming event, and Adrien had been tasked with going later that afternoon to review their work.

 _'Maybe I'll get to see Marinette's designs!'_ he thought to himself excitedly. He was about to tell her about his involvement when she responded to Nino's question

"Ok, I guess. I dunno… I'm really not pleased with my collection so far."

Adrien watched as Marinette frowned and started absently picking away at the crust on her sandwich. She glanced up at him with a questioning look and opened her mouth as if to ask him something, before seeming to think better of whatever she was going to say and returning her gaze to her food.

"Why? What don't you like about it?" he prompted, wondering what she'd been about to say, and not fully able to believe that something she created _wasn't_ stunning.

"I mean… This project wasn't a very good one for me. Like... I just couldn't get any good ideas flowing. My inspiration just kinda took a nose dive off a cliff, and… yeah, this collection is just not where it should be," she shrugged.

"I can't really imagine you making anything bad," Adrien said.

"Well, believe it," Marinette looked up at him again with a half-hearted smile. "I mean hopefully I can get some good feedback this afternoon, but I really don't know how I'm going to pull anything amazing out of this one."

Adrien frowned in confusion. Knowing her, she didn't just make a poor job of her creations without a really good reason. He decided not press the issue, though, simply saying, "You're Marinette! You do beautiful work! I have faith in you. You'll totally pull through this."

Marinette gazed at him as he said this, her bright blue eyes wide and her lips parted slightly in surprise, as if she wanted to believe his woulds but couldn't quite manage it.

Adrien never broke eye contact, trying to convey with true sincerity how confident he was in her abilities.

She turned her head and looked across the table to Alya and Nino, and they nodded encouragingly in agreement.

"Thanks," she said finally with a sigh. "I mean… we'll see. But thank you." She took another sip of her coffee, smiling.

Adrien felt an impulse to pull her into a hug as he'd done before, and continue to voice encouraging things to her. But instead he looked back down at his own food, taking another bite to distract himself from the urge.

They spent a little while longer in the restaurant. Nino shared some stories from his own travels; Adrien felt a pang of regret at having not heard some of these. Even though the two of them shared an apartment, it wasn't often that he got to just hang out and catch up with his friend. And even when he _did_ have nights off, he'd usually been out on patrol as Chat Noir.

Eventually, Marinette mentioned that she needed to get going to studio.

Adrien himself needed to go and meet up with the other guy who was coming with him to critique, so they donned their coats and headed back out into the chill of the afternoon. Alya and Nino said goodbye to him, and started up the street in the opposite direction from where he was headed.

Marinette gave him a small wave and started to follow after them when he impulsively reached out and caught her hand in his. Looking as surprised as he felt, she stared up at him questioningly.

"I, uh…" What in the world was he doing? "I just, um wanted to tell you… don't worry about your collection, Marinette. I mean, you really _do_ have the talent. I know you can do this. I'll see you real soon, ok?" he said, looking once more into her eyes.

"Ok… yeah!" she said with a smile, squeezing his hand briefly in gratitude before they both let go.

Adrien finally turned from her and headed down the street, warmth spreading over his face from the spontaneous hand holding. He shook his head with a smile. Just then, he felt a small, familiar pressure on his chest, and looked down to see his little black Kwami sticking his head out from an inner pocket in Adrien's coat.

"What's up, Plagg?" Adrien asked.

"Well?" Plagg replied pointedly.

With a sigh, Adrien reached into another pocket of his coat, pulling out the small chunks of cheese he had surreptitiously been collecting throughout the entire meal, and handing them over.

"Yes!" Plagg exclaimed happily, swallowing the first two chunks whole, and slowing down a little to nibble on a third. "So? How was being around your old friends?" he asked, his mouth ungracefully full.

"It was so much better than I thought it would be," replied Adrien, hurrying off through a couple back alleys towards where he was to meet up with his work partner. "I honestly hadn't realized how much I'd missed them."

"And why didn't you tell that girl that you'd be judging her work today?" Plagg asked, now focusing on a fourth chunk of cheese. "Or were you such a dunce that you got distracted from staring so hard at her that you actually forgot?"

"I _wasn't_ staring!" Adrien said with a huff, his face feeling hot again.

"Uh huh. And _I_ don't like cheese. You were _totally_ staring! It was almost as bad as how you used to be around Ladybug!" Plagg laughed, remembering how much of a flirt his boy had been around his spotted partner.

Adrien just rolled his eyes. Unfortunately, the perfectly recalled image of Marinette looking back at him made it a little harder to think of any good comeback.

"I dunno, I think I just wanted to surprise her later. Plus she seemed really unenthused about her designs, and… well, I remembered that she used to get really nervous around me, so… I just didn't want to add to the pressure, y'know?" Adrien looked down to see his Kwami shrug in response.

 _'Either way,'_ his mind added on, _'I'm glad I get to see her again today."_

* * *

Marinette climbed the steps of the rarely-used service stairwell up to the fourth floor where her 3rd Year studio lay. Her mind was still swimming with thoughts of the last couple of hours. It had been, well, _amazing_.

Adrien did seem a little different from the boy she used to know, but in a _good_ way. It seemed that he was taking on the mature responsibility of helping to run an internationally known fashion company easily in stride, but it was also clear that he hadn't lost himself in the process at all. He had seemed entirely comfortable while he was around them, cracking jokes with Nino and Alya. Marinette smiled widely at the memory of how he had wanted to hang out with her again. _"Soon"_ he had said. The recollection of the sincerity in his voice brought a warm fuzzy feeling to her chest. Spending time with Adrien, getting to know the man he was now, maybe hanging out one on one… Her steps took on a new bounce at this thought.

 _'But didn't you say you didn't want to go down this path again?'_ a small voice in the back of her mind said. _'Didn't you decide that trying to get close to someone the way you were with Nathanael was too hard?'_

Marinette paused in her climb, frowning at this.

Well, _yeah_ , it _had_ been hard, but who said she had to think of Adrien _that_ way again? They were friends! Old friends! It was only natural to want to reconnect! And they _would_ get to reconnect, especially if Adrien was going to be taking classes again this semester. And Meesh had said that there were rumors floating around that Gabriel Agreste might be involved in the Gala… Marinette had remembered this earlier when she was talking to Adrien, and had been about to ask if he had anything to do with it. But she had decided not to say anything, partially wondering if it was true, and part of her not really wanting to get her hopes up that she could be working closely with him for it. And Adrien hadn't said anything about it either, so maybe a rumor really was all that was.

She sighed, finished climbing the last few steps, and gently opened the door to the fourth floor studio, trying to be quiet so as to not draw attention to herself.

Everyone had already gathered near a window halfway down the room. Marinette quietly hurried over to where her desk sat in the corner space; it was cluttered with scraps of varying kinds of fabric. Dozens of papers with designs covered in scribbles and notes were pinned up on the wall above her desk, as well as taped over some of the window rails. A shared hanging rack sat between her own workspace and Meesh's, holding garment bags that contained both of their collections. A couple of mannequins stood nearby, dressed with her most recent work.

She put her bag down on top of everything and made her way over to the rest of the group, where one of their instructors was in the middle of an announcement. Meesh stood with them. Seeing Marinette approaching, she greeted her with a smile and made a space for her to join the others. Marinette smiled back, and turned to face the speaker, excited to hear what the announcement was.

"I am glad to see that you all have clearly taken time over your holiday to prepare for the Student Exhibition Gala" Madam Charbonneau was saying.

She was a slender woman with a hawk-like nose, and her dark hair, which was starting to develop streaks of silver, was pulled into a tight bun. Marinette was certain she had never seen her wear anything that wasn't black, though she did embellish with some colorful jewelry.

When Marinette had first joined Paris' International Fashion Academy, she (and many of her fellow incoming students) were thoroughly terrified of this woman. They'd heard she had worked in the editorial section for Vogue in her earlier years before shifting to teach the newer generations, and they had initially dreaded her critiques. They came to find, however, that though she was a no-nonsense sort of person, she was fair and generally gave some of the best advice. Charbonneau had critiqued them as first years just one time as a special favor, for she only taught upper-classmen. Ever since that afternoon, everyone had looked forward to working with her directly. She was not someone to be taken lightly, but Marinette trusted her and valued her feedback almost more than any of their other instructors, who were presently standing behind Charbonneau, facing the rest of the class.

"I suppose I need not remind you that it is only a short two weeks away," Charbonneau continued. "I do, however, have some news about the Gala which none of you have heard yet. Over the break, IFA was contacted by none other than the secretary of Monsieur Gabriel Agreste."

A murmur of excitement broke out amongst the students at the mention of the name.

Meesh exchanged a knowledgeable grin with Marinette, whose stomach had flipped with excitement – _'So this really_ was _happening!'_ – and they turned back to Charbonneau, listening intently.

"It seems that Monsieur Agreste wishes to showcase some student work in their next magazine issue. This Gala, it seems, will be used as an opportunity to select the top three ranking collections, and from there they will choose a couple designs from each to be featured in their March issue. I am sure there is no need for me to tell you what an incredible honor this opportunity is. It's not every day that they choose to market the talents of up-and-coming artists like yourselves. And if your designs are chosen, this could act as an enormously helpful launching point for your careers.

"I know that every single person here has put so much effort into getting where you are today," she smiled at this, her gaze drifted across the group, making eye contact with each of her pupils. "You all have the talent and the creativity. The only thing that could hold you back is letting your own inhibitions dictate you. Do not let that happen. You must push yourself, stretch your own boundaries, and aim higher than ever before. I believe in you all."

Marinette raised her chin with a smile spreading across her face, feeling confidence pulsing through her as though she was wearing her Ladybug spots. She felt ready for anything.

"Now, with that settled," Charbonneau said briskly, "today we will be having a critique of all of the pieces you have been making over the holiday. For this, we have two guests coming over, sent by Monsieur Agreste. They will be joining us shortly, and until then I want you to prepare your collections for inspection. That is all."

Meesh grabbed Marinette's arm and started bouncing with exuberance as they headed to their workspaces.

"Can you believe it?! Gabriel Agreste! Marinette we will have our collections judged by _Gabriel freakin Agreste!"_

"I know!" Marinette grinned. She'd had her work reviewed by the esteemed designer once before when she was younger, but that had been an amateur competition. This felt so much bigger, and even though her design had gotten chosen back then, she wasn't about to let complacency take over.

They hurried over to the rack that held their projects, and started to lay the bags out on their desks. Meesh went to get a couple mannequins for the both of them to show their best pieces, and Marinette began unzipping the bags one by one. But as she revealed each of her garments, her smile disappeared and a fearful panic began to well up inside her.

"Ok, here are some dummies for you," Meesh declared, returning. "I'm just _so_ excited to show this collection off I can't even stand it! I wonder who the guest judges are gonna b– Hey, what's wrong, girl?" Meesh stopped what she was doing when she saw the look of horror frozen on Marinette's face as she stared down at the garments in her hands.

"I– I can't show these!" Marinette stuttered.

"Wait what? What do y– "

 _"I can't show these designs in competition!"_ Marinette hissed, frantically brandishing the fabric forward with shaking hands into Meesh's face. "These are _awful!_ I mean, I'd had absolutely _zero_ good inspiration over these last few weeks! I just sort of went with these designs with no idea as to where I was going with them! I– I thought that maybe if I just kept working, I would figure s-something out eventually, and could embellish on them but… These are just _boring!"_

Marinette had started out this assignment with no particular direction to head in. It had been a "design what you want" sort of prompt with no clear theme to follow. In the past, she had never had much of a problem creating new things that excited her. But with Alya and Nino gone for so long, and the exhaustion from the piling on of school, work, and being a superhero, she'd been in such a sour place that designing anything good wasn't possible. In desperation to just get _something_ made, she had tried to piece together several different ideas she'd had from the past, hoping to get more inspiration to tie them together later. As a result, she had several half-hearted garments that just looked like pitiful copies of designs she'd seen before.

Marinette collapsed onto her stool, a sense of hopelessness flooding over her.

Meesh walked over and rubbed her back sympathetically.

"Hey. _Hey._ You'll get this figured out! I know you will! I've seen you do more amazing things than half the people here combined. You got this, girl!"

Marinette smiled gratefully at her friend's encouragements, but the bleak feeling didn't dissipate.

Meesh started to unpack some of her own designs, still speaking words of comfort and encouragement as she arranged them on the mannequins.

Marinette watched as she did. Despite the stress she was feeling about her own work, a small part of her couldn't help but stare in awe at her friend's work, as she had done the first time she'd seen them weeks ago.

Meesh was always one to push the boundaries of her own projects, never letting one collection look like the last, and always trying new things. This time around, she had apparently been inspired by her boyfriend back in Mexico, who was doing work in the field of fiber optics. Meesh had already completed 5 of the 7 garments she was aiming to make, and each one was made of a luminescent material which created a stunning, almost cosmic effect when properly lit up.

"Wow, Meesh. Did you get your inspiration from a traffic light?"

A drawling voice reached their ears, cutting Meesh's stream of reassurance off. Both girls turned around to see a fellow classmate, Mathis, standing behind them.

He was a tall young man with dark hair and fair features, and right now, a condescending look was playing across his face. As he eyed Meesh's designs, his lip curled.

"Careful there, anyone who wore something _that_ gaudy would probably be a roadside hazard."

"Oh, shut _up_ , Mathis." Meesh snapped impatiently, turning back to her work with a roll of her eyes.

Meesh had dealt with Mathis early on in their school career, so when Marinette came to be in the same studio as them in their second year, Meesh had warned her about him. Mathis was a crazy good designer, and no matter what sort of pressure he was under, he always produced some of the most intricate tailoring's Marinette had ever seen. But despite his great talent, he was also highly manipulative. He would play to people's insecurities in ways that made them trust him, and then turn against them the instant it was convenient for him. Marinette knew that Meesh had fallen prey to him during their first year at IFA, before she had gotten to know either of them. She didn't know much about the details, for Meesh usually went quiet whenever that year was brought up. But if it had been something scarring enough to cause someone so strong, brilliant, and fiery as Meesh become so suddenly vulnerable and unsure, Marinette could at least tell that Mathis was bad news. Regardless of their past, though, Meesh never stood by whenever Mathis tried to pull any more crap.

But Mathis was never one to be deterred. Shaking his head and letting out a laugh he said, "Feeling a little touchy about our collection, are we?"

"Not at all! But the fact that you are still over here talking to us? Now _that_ I can be touchy about." Meesh shot back coolly without taking her eyes off of the garment she was arranging.

Mathis turned to Marinette, and eyeing her work up close, his amused expression deepened.

"Well, well! I see you _weren't_ inspired with these!" he said, smirking.

Marinette felt her face grow hot as he continued.

"Or maybe you started these with the idea of 'How many _awful_ dresses can I force together into a single collection?' Were you expecting to sell these to send these straight to a thrift store?"

"Shut UP, Mathis!" Meesh whirled around and marched up to him to glare directly into his face.

Marinette felt hot anger prickle up inside her, but couldn't find any words to defend the pieces she had made.

The door at the other end of their studio opened just then, and in walked a young man in a sharp looking coat and bright red hair fashioned in an undercut, followed close behind by–

 _"Adrien?"_ Marinette breathed. Her heart leapt at the sight of him.

He looked around the studio and, spotting her, waived happily.

 _"Surprise!"_ he mouthed, smiling widely before he and his partner turned to Charbonneau and the other instructors who were gathering around them.

Mathis looked between them, and raised an eyebrow as he sneered.

"You know him, Marinette? _Tsk_ , are your designs really so desperately awful that you are trying to cozy up to the Agrestes already?" And with that, he turned and left them.

Marinette had half a mind to shout several retorts at him as he went, but turning back to her work, her gumption failed her. They really _were_ awful…

"Don't listen to him, Mar," Meesh said sharply.

Marinette just shrugged. She turned around to see Charbonneau getting ready to announce their guests.

Adrien looked at her with concern, seeing the expression on her face, and his eyes flicked between her and Mathis, who had just returned to his own workstation on the opposite side of the room. He raised an eyebrow questioningly, but she just shook her head and looked down at her boots, listening to her instructor announce Adrien as "the son of the most esteemed Monsieur Gabriel Agreste" and the ginger as a man called "Zachariah."

"As we do not want to take up too much of our guest judges' precious time, you will be split into two groups for this critique. Those of you on the half of the room to my right" – she gestured to the half of the room where Marinette and Meesh stood – "We will gather in here. Everyone else, you may move to the conference hall next door. Monsieur Adrien, would you like to join the instructors to judge that group, please? And Monsieur Zachariah, you may stay here."

As Marinette moved to gather her stuff to be reviewed, she saw that Adrien looked gently disappointed that he wouldn't be critiquing her group, but he gave her an encouraging nod as he headed off with the other half of the class. She herself couldn't tell if she was also disappointed, or rather relieved that he wouldn't be seeing her work.

There were about a dozen students in addition to her who would be getting critiqued in their group. They gathered in an open corner of the studio, specifically left clear for reviews, and one by one, each designer wheeled their work forward.

The man called Zachariah seemed to be a fair judge of their work. He certainly didn't hold back criticisms, but he was also quick to point out the good things about people's work. And he was very encouraging when it came to suggestions for helpful changes. Some of the students' collections were very impressive, others less so. But as each review finished, everyone came away from it looking determined to keep working, armed with new ideas and confidence.

Marinette watched on, and the closer it got to her turn, the higher her internal panic rose.

Meesh went on second to last. Her work received an overwhelming amount of praise for her craftsmanship and ingenuity. Charbonneau and Zachariah gave her some tips for how to improve some of the pieces – correcting the flow of one garment, how to change another garment to make it more form-fitting, how if she tried arranging the fabric like "this" it would have a more grand effect – and she finished her review beaming.

Finally, it came down to Marinette. With trembling hands, she pushed her collection to the front. As Zachariah and the other instructors walked around the mannequins and the hanging rack, inspecting her work closely, she watched helplessly. She already knew what they were going to say.

"This is some truly beautiful craftsmanship," Zachariah started thoughtfully as he looked at them. "Some of the best stitching and joining I've seen from any student… but as for the designs themselves, I'm afraid they are rather… _lack-luster_."

Marinette didn't even try to defend herself as each of the instructors agreed, telling her what she could've told them herself.

"I am surprised at you, Marinette." Charbonneau said, and Marinette finally looked up, her throat constricting. "I have known you to be one of the very best artists I've seen come through this program. This collection, though, does nothing to demonstrate that. Even if you spent time to improve each of these pieces, no matter how I look at them, I cannot see how you could tie them together into a strong collection that would do your talents justice. To be perfectly honest, I think that the only way you'd have any hope of catching the eyes of the judges at the Gala would be to scrap these designs and start from scratch."

A stifled gasp rang out from the on-looking students. Marinette felt as though she had just been plunged in a pool of ice water.

 _'_ _Start over?!'_

Zachariah looked at Charbonneau with a look of deep consideration before turning to Marinette.

"A full reset would be difficult, but I have seen it done before. You would have to work harder than you probably ever have to get seven new designs done, but if you can do it and make it look good, then I would say go for it. You certainly have the workmanship. I want to see your true talent as a designer, now."

"The choice is yours, Marinette," Charbonneau said gently, putting a hand on her shoulder. "You have just two weeks to get this done. I have every bit of faith in your abilities. If you can find the true inspiration you need, and put all of your efforts into this, I absolutely know you _will_ be able to succeed in this endeavor. Will you do it?"

Marinette tried to say something in response, but her tongue felt heavy and overly large in her mouth, so she simply nodded in return. Charbonneau looked at her thoughtfully for a moment more, then turned to the group at large.

"Well? You all know what you need to do. We will have individual critiques at your desks on Wednesday. Go for it, everyone!" Glancing back at Marinette, she said one last "Good luck," before leaving her be.

Marinette felt numb. She hardly noticed what she was doing as she returned to her workspace and started putting everything away. As they left, many of her fellow students were shooting her sympathetic looks – they knew she was brilliant at what she did, but no one could imagine creating any half-way decent collection in such a short time. Two weeks. _Just two weeks._

Meesh said something in a gentle voice, and rubbed her back comfortingly. But Marinette seemed to be frozen in a daze, so Meesh left as well, glancing worriedly over her shoulder as the door closed.

 _Seven new designs. In just two weeks._

Slowly, Marinette folded her garments up into their bags and hung them up. _She had two weeks._ She gathered up her coat and bag and headed for the door. _A full reset. A new collection._ She made her way back down the service stairwell. _Redesign from scratch. In only two short weeks._

Without really realizing what she was doing, Marinette stopped on the second landing from the bottom and just stood there facing the corner. She leaned forward to bump her head gently against the wall, leaving it resting against the cool concrete, her eyes still open wide and staring straight at nothing.

 _'_ _How on earth am I supposed to do this?'_

Marinette had no idea how long she stood there for. At one point, Tikki peaked out of her bag pocket and looked sympathetically at her charge. She was about to say something to pull her girl out of her daze when she heard a door open into the stairwell on the flight above them, and ducked back out of sight.

"Marinette?" A gentle, low voice spoke, and snapping out of her daze, she spun around. She hadn't heard Adrien's footsteps as he'd come down the stairs, but now he stood in front of her, looking her over with concern. "We just finished the other group's critique, and I left Zachariah to come find you… Are you alright?"

"I– I… um, I just…" She hung her head low, unable to find the words to say. Her mind was so full that everything was becoming a blank buzz of panic.

"Marinette, what happened?" Adrien moved closer and, leaning down, he tilted his head up to look at her, forcing her to make eye contact. She saw that his face was full of a mixture of worry and sincerity.

Her hands started trembling, and before she knew it, prickling hot tears filled her eyes and began streaming down her cheeks.

Letting out a watery gasp, she leaned her back against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor, her knees tucking into her chest as she just let loose and cried. Words began tumbling out of her mouth as she told him everything that had been said during the critique, of how she would either have to risk sending mediocre designs down the runway in front of some of the most prestigious people in the fashion industry, or create an entirely new collection from scratch, and somehow finish it all in just two weeks.

"A-and I have n-no idea how I'm supposed to do this! W-where do I even _begin?_ How can I f-find the right inspiration for _s-seven pieces_ when I h-have no time to do this? And even if I d-do finally get inspired to make good designs, w-what then, huh? H-how am I gonna be able to pull this off in just _t-two weeks?_ How am I supposed to _d-do_ this? _How?_ "

Adrien had slid down onto the floor next to her as she ranted, and Marinette finally looked up at him when she felt his arm wrap comfortingly around her shoulders.

"How can I do this, Adrien?" she repeated in a small voice, and he gave her a warm smile.

"Because you're Marinette. No, I'm serious!" he said quickly as she scoffed. "You are one of the most amazing, talented, hard-working designers I've ever known, and I work with _a lot_ of designers! Like, so many, it's actually ridiculous. And I've seen you create things that could easily rival th lot of them. You have made some beautiful pieces in the past, and you _will_ make even more stunning pieces in the future. You have a way of pouring your entire heart and soul into what you do. You're truly inspiring, Marinette. You have no idea, but you really, _really_ are." He pulled her a little tighter, and gave her shoulders a small shake. "And there is _nothing_ you can't do. You will totally be able to do this, I have every bit of faith in you!"

Marinette sighed, but she couldn't stop a small smile from tugging at her lips as she listened to his enthusiastic encouragement.

"You know what? C'mon," he said after a brief pause. He got to his feet, and stood in front of her to offer her his hand. Slowly, she reached up to take it, and he pulled her to her feet. Not letting go of her hand, he pulled her down the last set of steps and out the door into the snow that was falling gently.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"What you need right now is a distraction. You need to take your mind off of everything for a little while, and later you can come back to it with fresh eyes."

Marinette blinked at his words, feeling the urge to tell him that what she _needed_ was to get started immediately. There was no time for distraction! But truthfully, she had no idea what she was going to do, and when he looked back at her for a response, she found herself giving him a small nod of consent. Tightening her fingers around his, she allowed him to lead her off into the night, the lights from the city illuminating their path with a warm glow.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Marinette felt her cheeks burning as it slowly sunk in what was happening. Adrien, the boy she had crushed on for the entirety of their teen years, was actually _holding_ her _hand._ She felt how warm his fingers were as they laced easily around hers, soft and gentle.

A stupid smile began to spread across her face before she mentally slapped herself.

 _'Stop it!'_ she thought angrily. _'You promised yourself you wouldn't think of him like this! You said you would be just friends!'_

Letting out a determined huff, she shook herself out of the giddy stupor.

Adrien looked around curiously at her sharp exhale, but she remained silent, resolutely staring at her boots, so he simply gave her a small smile and continued leading the way across campus.

Not many people crossed their path until they made it off the grounds, and coming to the edge of a small market, they were quickly surrounded as evening shoppers gathered around kiosks. The air was instantly warmer, due to the crowds of people and the large space heaters set up at regular intervals. Cheerful music reached their ears as the door to a pub across the street opened and closed. A few young children were running around, laughing and playing in the snow as their parents gathered their groceries. Bands of twinkling lights were strung over the passages between the market vendors.

Adrien pulled Marinette to one of the first tents, and letting go of her hand he started to paw through the shelves of food. Marinette flexed her fingers, feeling a tingle go through them at the sudden absence of his warmth.

"Pasta or potatoes?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder at her with a quizzical look on his face.

"Huh?" said Marinette, coming to stand next to him.

"I'm trying to decide what sort of dish to make tonight, so–"

"Oh! Y-you don't have to cook for me!" Marinette stammered, raising her hands and shaking her head in protest.

"I'm not cooking for _you_ , I'm cooking for _me_ ," Adrien said as he straightened up, a serious look on his face.

Marinette blinked up at him. _'When on earth had he gotten so tall?'_

"I hardly ever get to cook for myself," he continued. "And since I have tonight off for once, I figured I'd make something good! And I mean I _guess_ you can have _a little_ taste, I dunno…"

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, but Marinette narrowed her eyes as she saw how hard he was fighting the grin that tugged at his lips. Finally he folded under her glare and started laughing.

Marinette was reminded how much she'd always loved the sound.

"Well? Pasta or potatoes?" he repeated, his eyebrows raised innocently in sharp contrast to the smirk that played across his mouth.

Marinette rolled her eyes, but couldn't keep the smile off her own face either.

"Fine. Pasta, I guess?" she replied.

Adrien nodded in agreement. Smiling triumphantly, he purchased some Fettuccine from the vendor. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he steered her to the next few kiosks which were filled with everything from an assortment of winter vegetables to various fresh spices to meats and poultry.

"Brussel sprouts or squash?" he asked, again making her choose.

"Um, let's go with squash," she replied.

"Yellow onions or red?"

"Yellow."

"Spicy or tangy?"

"Tangy."

"Pork or chicken?"

"Chicken."

They continued on and on like this, the collection of ingredients for whatever dish Adrien was planning to prepare growing so large that she offered to carry some things as well.

At one of the stations they came to, a man was cooking some sort of small meatballs, dipping them in an opaque red sauce, and skewering them several at a time on thin wooden sticks. Adrien walked up to the counter and then turned to Marinette, grinning and holding out a sample. She raised her eyebrows at him, but he held her gaze and lifted it closer to her mouth. She leaned forward and took a small bite, her eyes closing exuberantly as the warm, sweet flavors filled her mouth.

"Mmm oh my gosh, that's really good!" she said, her hand shooting up over her mouth as she realized she had spoken with it being very full.

Adrien chuckled at her before stuffing the rest of the meatball in his own mouth.

"Oh wow, you're right!" he said, happily smacking his lips, the sight making Marinette smile. "You know there was this one restaurant in Milan that I got to go to last summer where they have some meat with a really similar flavor. I think it went with some sort of rice dish, but the thing had all these different artichokes that they had arranged in this really cool flower formation, right? And when they brought it out to our table…"

As Marinette listened to his stories, she could see how hard he was trying to keep her mind occupied with things in the present moment, not allowing her to dwell on the impending doom of the next two weeks. He kept up a steady stream of animated dialogue, occasionally throwing in a joke or two, and sharing a few more food samples with her as they walked. Somehow, though, it was working. Adrien's cheerful attitude was quickly rubbing off on her, and before she knew it, she was shooting witty remarks right back at him, and racing ahead of him to other tents to pick out supplemental ingredients and spices.

Spotting several crates of oranges under one particular kiosk, she was struck with a sudden idea.

"Do you have sugar and eggs?" she called over her shoulder as Adrien came up behind her, carrying his purchases under one arm.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I do?" he said, and looked on curiously as she nodded and turned back to the woman watching them happily.

"Can I get two of those, please?" Marinette said, handing the lady some change and collecting the oranges in a small bag. Turning around she stood on her tiptoes, trying to see what sorts of foods the various kiosks held.

"What are you looking for?" Adrien asked, rather amused at the sight of her as she jumped up and down a little to gain more of a height vantage.

"We need to find some good chocolate!" Marinette said, her eyes still searching. "You didn't think you were gonna steal _all_ the fun and cook everything yourself, did you?"

Adrien laughed at her enthusiasm, glad to see such a change in her from before, and using his height to his full advantage, he found a vendor several spots away that held an assortment of chocolates.

As they made their way over, he suddenly asked "You don't happen to have any qualms about having your picture taken, do you?"

"Um… I mean, no? I guess not, why?" she said, eyeing him curiously.

He reached his right hand down into his coat pocket, and pulling out his phone, he started clicking photos of her, and of the vendors and lights surrounding them.

"What are you doing?" she asked, watching him kneel down a little as he took some shots of a few kids that had just run past them laughing, throwing small handfuls of snow at each other.

Glancing at her with a smile, he saw her inquiring look.

"I've kinda taken up amateur photography in the last couple years," he said shrugging and straightening up to get some more shots of the market. "I think it's just that I've spent so much of my life behind the camera, I've sort of developed a joy in taking pictures of things _other_ than myself, ya know? Like it's just so much more interesting and special to get snapshots of real life moments, rather than all the staged shoots I've been used to."

A blush started to creep across his face as he said this, but looking down he saw her beaming at him.

"I think that's a beautiful thing," she said as they arrived at the chocolate counter.

"You do?" he said, sheepishly reaching his hand up to scratch the back of his neck.

"Yes, I do," she nodded, collecting several ounces of dark chocolate from the vendor. "I really love it, actually."

With a smile, Marinette turned to continue down the market isle. She didn't see the grin spreading across Adrien's face as he raised his phone once more to take one last snapshot of her, the twinkling lights illuminating the snowflakes that had alighted on her, making it look like she had glowing diamonds in her hair.

Finished with their shopping, Adrien took the lead once again as they made their way down several busy Paris streets, chatting happily as they wove between the small crowds. Finally, coming into a quieter neighborhood, they turned into a set of double doors of an apartment building. Climbing up the three flights, they reached the top of the stairs and Adrien unlocked the door to the highest flat, holding it open for Marinette to walk through.

He shut the door behind them and turned on the light, illuminating a beautiful kitchen with cherry cabinets and a dark granite countertop, which overlooked a spacious living room area. Adrien moved past her and flipped another switch that turned on a few lamps, illuminating the room a bit better.

Marinette saw elements of both Adrien and Nino scattered around the place. An open closet revealed an impressive collection of music equipment, as well as a stereo system that was hooked up to several wall-mounted speakers throughout the apartment. A camera bag hung on a hook just inside the closet door. A few large posters featuring Nino as "DJ-Nine" were framed and hung around the room.

There were also a handful of smaller framed photographs, featuring what Marinette assumed to be family and friends, sitting on the side tables and bookshelves. Strings of thin twine were zig-zagged down some of the larger walls of exposed brick, and dozens of small photos with various subject matters were attached to them by small clothespins.

At the far end of the room, a high loft window held a stunning view of the city stretched out before them, the lights of the Eiffel tower shining in the distance. The whole apartment felt extremely comfortable. Marinette had only been in Adrien's father's house a few times when they were growing up, but she could still remember how empty and cold it felt. This place was nothing like that. It felt safe, welcoming, _lived in_. She felt herself smiling as she realized just how hard Adrien must have worked to make it so.

* * *

Adrien watched Marinette as she put her armful of food on the counter and wandered into the living room, exploring all the different photographs he had displayed there. He wasn't entirely sure what to say, for some reason feeling a little self-conscious. But then she turned to him with a grin.

"This is beautiful!" she said, gesturing to the apartment at large. "It feels so cozy here!"

"You like it?" he said, unsure of why he felt so immensely pleased at this.

"I do," she said simply, taking off her coat and scarf and hanging them on the hook next to the door where he had just hung his own.

He beamed at her.

"I'm glad," he said. Then, rubbing his hands together excitedly, "Well! I dunno about you, but I'm starving!"

"Let's do it!" Marinette nodded happily and started to help him pull their haul out of the paper bags and spread it out, while opening some of the lower cabinets to find the different bowls and mixers she would need.

"Feel free to explore the kitchen and help yourself to whatever you want! I'll get the main course going, and you start working on whatever this surprise dessert is, yeah?"

Rolling his sleeves up out of the way, Adrien heard her let out a small gasp.

"You got a tattoo!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh, yeah! I got this a couple years ago."

He extended his left arm out, displaying the likeness of a cat that ran across his forearm down to his wrist. It was a design he was rather proud of; geometric lines crisscrossed down the cat's silhouette, and a gradient of dark ink flowed from the top of the head and tail, lightening as it reached the base, where three bands formed around his wrist.

Of course, he would never tell anyone that the reason he got it was because he was Chat Noir, but to him it was a nice reminder of the confidence his alter ego allowed for being more himself.

Marinette walked forward and took his hand in one of hers, the other gently holding his wrist and turning his arm slightly so she could better examine it.

Adrien felt a tingle run up his arm from where she touched him, her fingers feeling soft against his skin.

"I had no idea you were such a fan of Chat Noir," she said releasing his arm, and looking up at him, her eyes twinkling.

Adrien blinked at her in shock, momentarily thrown that she had seen through him so easily.

 _'How did she know?!'_ His mind went blank as he started sputtering.

"I d-don't know what… I mean yeah he's… What do you think I just… He doesn't have like a _monopoly_ on black cats or anything, am I right?" Smooth, Adrien. Real smooth. He turned around and grabbed a pot hanging next to the stove, filling it with water for the pasta, and hiding his face so she couldn't see how red his cheeks had just gotten. No one had ever figured out what his tattoo was about before. _'It's ok, she doesn't know the truth. She only said you were a fan,'_ he thought frantically, taking a shaky breath to calm down a little.

Marinette raised her eyebrows at him before coming up to his side, saying, "It's ok! I mean he _is_ pretty awesome! And that kitty really does deserve more fans. Ladybug would be useless without him."

He chuckled, his heart swelling at her praise, but still retorted, "Nah, Ladybug's amazing! She's an incredible fighter and leader. She's super kind and fearless, and does an amazing job of defending people and saving Paris."

He turned his head to look at her, surprised to see that now her own cheeks had a tinge of pink to them now. She looked rather pleased about something.

"Ok, yes," she countered. "But she _still_ needs Chat Noir. They're a team. They can't do everything they do without each other."

"I can agree to that," Adrien said with a smile. They gazed at each other for a moment, Adrien completely distracted by the soft blue of her eyes.

Marinette blinked, and then turned back to their pile of food.

"Well! Let's get this thing going!" she said, and he thought perhaps her cheeks had turned even a slight shade darker.

"Yes, lets!"

Throwing a dish towel over his shoulder, he strode through the kitchen and went to the stereo closet. Selecting a jazzy playlist, he turned back to her with a grin, and they started cooking.

Adrien had grown up having his meals prepared for him, not having cooked much since the time when his mother was around. But ever since moving out of his father's house, he had made the effort to learn all he could, and could now say that he was at least proficient in some specific dishes.

As he chopped and sautéed all of the vegetables in a large, cast iron skillet, Marinette got busy beating egg whites and sugar together in a large bowl. They chatted easily as they worked, flowing together out of each other's way as if they had done this a thousand times. Adrien would be dividing the chicken breasts into strips as she would duck underneath him to grab a whisk. Marinette would be measuring spoonfuls of vanilla, and bend out of the way as he reached a long arm around her to collect some seasoning for the white cream sauce.

Somehow, this all felt very familiar, and as they worked, the entire apartment filled with warm, delicious smells.

Once Adrien had all the food coasting at a simmer, he pulled a bottle of red wine off a rack in the corner, retrieved another small pot for the stove, and poured the contents of the bottle into it.

"Have you ever had mulled wine, Mar?" he asked, regarding her over his shoulder as she collected some of the oranges' juice in her mixing bowl.

"Just once, recently," she said, looking up at him excitedly. "A friend of mine made some."

"I'm making some now, would you like a mug of it?" he said, throwing a few cinnamon sticks into the pot, and grinding a little nutmeg over the top.

"Yes please!" she replied, coming over to retrieve her melted chocolate from the stove, and taking a whiff of the concoction before turning back and mixing all of her dessert ingredients together.

He added more spices and stirred for a few moments, watching Marinette fill the soufflé dish with the batter, and moved back out of the way as she opened the oven and placed it carefully inside. She turned on the stove's timer for 32 minutes.

Retrieving two white mugs from an upper shelf, Adrien carefully ladled some of the wine out for each of them. Marinette took her mug with both hands, happily inhaling the sweet aroma that steamed out the top before taking a sip.

"Mmm… It really _does_ taste like the holidays in a cup," she murmured.

"That's what I've always thought," he said, raising his mug to hers. "Cheers!"

They clinked their drinks together, sharing a smile.

Still taking sips of hers, Marinette turned around and wandered into the living room, taking a closer look at the photos Adrien had hung on the walls. Some of the pictures showed people doing simple things in daily life: a gathering of friends Adrien works with squeezing together in front of the camera; a young woman riding her bike down a cobbled street; a bus driver waving his hat around trying to move a heard of goats off the road; an older man playing the piano. Others were scenes of places that Adrien had traveled to doing work for his father. Still others were a myriad of shots depicting simple objects that seemed to hold their own sort of beauty. Some were of nothing at all in particular, just blendings of color and light. They weren't professional photos by any means, but they still had a breathtaking quality about them. It was a collection of real life moments, and the rawness behind them took on a loveliness of its own.

Adrien moved to stand beside her, holding a plate for her of the delicious food he'd made. It was a pasta and vegetable medley, with grilled garlic chicken, covered in a white cream sauce, and it smelled to die for. She took it happily, and they settled down to eat on the long cushioned window bench. Adrien brought one foot underneath him, hanging the other over the edge, and Marinette brought her legs up and crossed them, putting the plate on her lap.

Looking around, she seemed to realized something.

"You don't have any pictures of your father," she said.

Adrien looked up from his plate in surprise. She didn't say it as a question, but as a simple statement. He shrugged, his expression darkening a little, and she looked at him with questioning eyes, but didn't push him to answer. Finally, he sighed.

"No, I don't," he said, reaching for his mug and taking a thoughtful sip. "To be honest, when he pulled me out of school early to come and work for him, I had hoped… maybe being together more often would allow us to bond a little. I dunno…" He looked up at her, seeing her take small bites of her dinner as she listened, her expression soft.

"And that wasn't the case, was it," she said, and he shook his head.

"Honestly, I hardly ever see him. Usually at most, we are in the same room for maybe twenty minutes at a time? Maybe a little more if the meeting runs longer…"

Adrien reached up to run his fingers through his hair, looking out the window.

"I guess I'd been holding onto the hope that he still had it in him to act like a father. A _real_ father. And if we could spend more time together, he might start to show it. Of course, _that_ never happened," he said, unable to mask the bitterness in his voice. "I rarely see him for anything but work. Sometimes he will call me up to his office to give me instructions about some project or another, or what needs to be done for an upcoming event, but more often than not, he will just inform someone else to pass the message along to me instead. I just… I have only ever been his poster child, and nothing more."

He sighed, starting to take bites of his own food now.

"Do you regret going to work for him?" Marinette asked.

Adrien took another bite, thinking seriously about the question before answering.

"No. Well… I don't know… I love the work that I get to do. For the longest time when I was younger, I only consented to model because that was what _he_ wanted, and I wanted to please him. But now... now I'm working with truly amazing people. I get to use my creativity and influence in ways that can actually make a difference. I consider myself very blessed to be in this position now. I just... maybe with all I've been given, it's too much to ask to have a close relationship with him as well."

Marinette regarded him for a moment before leaning over and resting her hand on his knee. He looked up at her. Her eyes were sad.

"You're wrong," she said firmly. "No father should ever neglect their child. You are one of the kindest, most remarkable, most incredible people I've ever known. And your father is a fool for not taking the time to know you. Adrien, you are so worthy of a parent's love."

She squeezed his knee gently, a fierce look coming over her as she said this, willing him to believe it.

It was such a simple statement, but the sincerity behind her words made his throat constrict. Looking back down at his plate, he fought the hot prickling in his eyes.

"I hope you know that you're welcome to come and visit my family at any time, too," Marinette continued, and Adrien's head shot up. She was being completely serious. "I know they'd love to have you over, my dad has been waiting to try and whoop someone's ass in video games for ages now, ever since _I've_ been the undefeated champ."

A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth, and Adrien burst out laughing.

"Oho, you really think you can beat me?" he said, glad that she had found a change of topic so easily.

"Oh, I _know_ I can beat you!" she said, "I already have, haven't I?"

"That was _years_ ago!" he shot back, a mischievous smirk coming across his face. "This is here and now!"

Finishing up the last of his food, he jumped up and ducked into the stereo closet, rummaging around for a moment before triumphantly shouting "Aha!" and pulling out an old copy of 'Ultimate Mega Strike III,' and two controllers.

"We settle this _tonight!_ " he declared dramatically.

Marinette laughed loudly as the timer for the oven started beeping.

"Bring it on, Agreste!" she said, eating the last couple bites of her own dinner. She returned to the kitchen to put both their plates in the sink, and to retrieve their dessert. As Adrien set up the gaming console, she prepared two slices of orange chocolate soufflé, and refilled their mugs with another round of mulled wine. Adrien piled all the pillows from the couches onto the floor, and settling down on them, he happily accepted the plate and drink that she brought over.

"Ok, _this_ might be the best thing I've ever tasted in… _ever_!" he said as he took a bite of her creation, closing his eyes as the moist cake dissolved on his tongue, leaving a rich, sweet, citrusy taste behind. "Like holy crap, _how?_ "

She smiled at his reaction, taking bites of her own slice. "Well, this may surprise you, but I _did_ grow up in a patisserie!"

"No. Way. Whaaat?!" he said in mock surprise, and they fell into a fit of giggles.

As they finished, they put their plates on the coffee table behind them and took up their controllers. They fell into an easy banter of trash talk, selecting their players and readying for combat.

"You're _so_ going down!" Marinette said, fingers poised over her controller.

Round One started, and they both began frantically hitting buttons. The moment Adrien won, he shot his arms in a double fist pump of victory.

"Yes! Ha HA!" he cried exuberantly.

"That was only Round One, you dork!" Marinette said, coolly. "Just the warm up round!"

"Uh huh? Sounds like excuses to me!" he shot back.

She just rolled her eyes, grinning as Round Two began. This time, it was Marinette's turn for a victory cry.

"Woohoo! Yeah! I told you!" she said as he just shook his head laughing.

"There's still one more round. Let's see who the _real_ winner is!" he said, as the countdown for Round Three filled the screen.

They both began pounding the buttons in an enormous effort to come out on top, but the fight dragged on as they found they were very evenly matched.

An idea suddenly entered Adrien's mind, and a wicked grin spread across his face. Shifting his weight slightly to the side, and never taking his eyes of the screen, he suddenly shot his leg out in attempt to knock Marinette's controller out of her hands.

"CHEATS!" she squealed, trying to hold her controller up over her head to avoid his interference, laughing as he still waived his foot in front of her face to impede her view. "How DARE!"

'Player Two is the Winner!' the screen dramatically announced, and Adrien jumped up for a victory dance. Marinette dissolved into a fit of laughter.

"I demand a rematch!" she said, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes as Adrien flopped back down onto the pillows on the floor.

"I think you're just a sore loser!" he said, shaking from laughter.

"I was sabotaged! That wasn't a real win!" she shot back, and the excitedly pressed forward onto a new round, continuing to joke as they battled.

Adrien had no idea how long they stayed up playing and talking. They switched between a couple games after tiring of the first, moving more into exploratory adventure type genres. Eventually, though, he saw Marinette's eyes droop, her controller slipping a little.

"Ok, time for bed," he said.

"Mmm," was all she managed in response, her eyes remaining closed as her chin slowly lowered to her chest.

Breathing out a soft chuckle and shaking his head, he reached over and gently lifted the controler from her hands. Winding up the cords for both of them, he turned off the TV and console, and collected their mugs and plates to put by the sink. The music he'd put on earlier had long since died away, so he just turned the stereo off.

Turning back to the living room, he considered waking her up and insisting that she use his bed instead, while he could take the couch.

 _'She looks so peaceful, though,'_ he thought to himself.

His expression softened as she let out a soft hum in her sleep, curling up a bit more into the pillows he had propped on the ground earlier. So instead, Adrien simply grabbed one of the blankets folded on the back of the couch, and softly draped it over her.

"Goodnight, Princess," he whispered.

Settling back down where he had been sitting before, he reached over and switched off the lights. The room was now bathed in a soft moonlight. Thanks to his heightened vision, he could still see Marinette's sleeping form in clear detail. He watched her soft dark eyelashes fluttered against her cheek as her eyes moved behind her lids to an unknown dream. One of her small, pale hands curled gently around one of the blanket's corners, pulling it tighter around herself.

Adrien sighed, and reached a hand up to scratch the back of his neck, his mind a confused jumble of thoughts.

Here was Marinette, the girl he had known for almost half his life, sleeping in his house. Adrien remembered clearly how she used to be so nervous around him. He still wasn't entirely sure what he'd done to make her act that way, but he was very glad that she had grown more comfortable around him over the years. He had begun to see more and more of the brave, energetic, quick-witted Marinette that he'd known when she was around Chat Noir. He felt a warmth in his chest as he remembered some of the adventures they'd shared. She had never shied away from an Akuma in all the times he had worked with her. In fact, quite the opposite. There had been moments where her bravery had gotten way too close to the edge of recklessness, nearly giving him a heart attack on several occasions. But she had always laughed it off, continuing forward confidently.

As he absently traced the cat outline on his arm with one finger, his mind turned to Ladybug. He'd never quite given up on his affection for her, but over the years, she had never given up on keeping their identities a secret. As time went on, he had relented a bit on his flirtatious advances. They had fallen into an easy friendship. He knew that she would always be there for him, always have his back no matter what.

But after all this time, he knew better than to still hope that he could be with her as more than friends.

He remembered how there had been so many occasions when the girl that lay before him had reminded him a great deal of his Lady. She was so sincere with him, laughing at even his more stupid jokes, encouraging him to be his best self, making him feel that she genuinely saw the real Adrien. He though back to earlier that night, how Marinette had picked up almost immediately on his disappointment around his father. She had been genuinely upset for him. She had also always been the one to stand up in others' defense, speaking her mind when something wasn't right. Those moments of bravery and selflessness and kindness had always seemed so familiarly heroic to him. He was very glad to have seen more of that side of her has they had grown up and become better friends.

 _'Friends…'_ Adrien thought the word was a nice way to describe what they shared. _'But would I be lying if I said I had never thought about her being any more than that?'_ a voice at the back of his mind said. He had gone on dates with a handful of different girls over the years. They had been nice, and he had been polite and sincere, but he had never felt much of a spark with anyone the way he used to when he was around Ladybug, so he had never made it past two or three dates with the same girl. But there had been a number of time where, when he'd been thinking fondly of Ladybug, his mind would then turn somehow to Marinette. They had gone for years without hardly seeing each other, so why would he still think of her so often?

Adrien sat there wrapped up in his thoughts for quite a while, the shadows from the moonlight marking the time as they moved slowly across the room. Slowly but surely, though, his mind went quiet and he too drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Tikki peeked out of Marinette's bag after things had been silent for a while. Hearing the two young ones breathing slowly and rhythmically, she flew out of her hiding spot. Looking around, she saw that plenty of the soufflé had been left over, and the two precious dorks had left it (as well as the rest of the food) out on the counter. She zoomed over to the dessert and began taking small bites.

Munching happily she thought to herself, _'You've really outdone yourself again, Marinette! If you weren't so determined to not fall for him like before, I'd say you might have already found the way to his heart through his stomach!'_

As Tikki opened her mouth to take yet another mouthful, a sound from behind her mad her whip around. Light came spilling out from the corner where the refrigerator sat, briefly illuminating the kitchen as Tikki ducted behind the soufflé in fright.

 _'The refrigerator door opens by itself?!_ '

Just as she was ready to believe that the boy's apartment was haunted by a hungry ghost, a small black figure holding a piece of cheese that was easily twice the size of his body came flying out of it and closed the door again, plunging the apartment back into semi-darkness.

 _"PLAGG!?"_ Tikki cried, zooming out from her hiding spot to see that it really was her friend and partner. Plagg spun around, dropping his cheese on the counter below him in shock.

"What the- _Tikki?!_ What are you–" but his question was cut short as Tikki tackled him in midair, and they spun around in a small loop, hugging each other tightly. After a moment of this, though Plagg pushed the small red Kwami away and said, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What am _I_ doing here? What are _you_ doing here?!" Tikki said, crossing her arms.

" _I_ happen to live here!" Plagg stated superiorly.

Just then, they heard a snort from the living room. A few feet away, Adrien stirred, and turned over in his sleep, bringing himself closer to where Marinette lay curled on the ground under the blanket he'd given her.

The Kwamis waited a moment more to make sure he stayed asleep before settling down on the counter to continue their conversation in whispers.

"Wait… so that means… _he's_ your charge?" Tikki said, her eyes going wide. "Adrien is Chat Noir!"

"And I s'pose this means the girl is Ladybug?" Plagg said with a roll of his eyes, chuckling. "All this time, they were so freaking close and they didn't even notice! Idiots!"

Tikki smacked him in the arm, saying "Don't be rude!" but she, too, was smiling.

"Well, does this mean we get to tell them?" asked Plagg, rubbing his tiny paws together.

Tikki's smile faltered.

"Umm… I don't know," she said, looking down at the two sleeping figures.

"What, seriously?" Plagg shot her an incredulous look. "C'mon! They've been _just_ missing each other for the last seven years!"

"I know, I know!" Tikki replied sadly, "But it's just… I mean, they've only just reunited!"

"No, they haven't! They see each other as Ladybug and Chat Noir all the time!" Plagg retorted, munching on his retrieved hunk of Gouda.

"I mean as Adrien and Marinette!" Tikki said, watching him. The darn Kwami really could eat at any time, even when reuniting with his partner for the first time in decades. "In their civilian forms, they are only just now reconnecting! I… I think we should at least give them a little time. They're older now, they might be able to figure it out… maybe?"

Plagg rolled his eyes at this.

"These two dorks have gone to school with each other for years, sat right next to each other _for years,_ and never did the thought cross their mind that the other could be their partner," he said crossly. "There's no _way_ they would piece it together now! They've had enough time!"

"Ok, ok fine!" Tikki sighed. "But let's at least give them a little while to be around each other again as Adrien and Marinette, ok? Then we can tell them when the time is right."

Plagg regarded her thoughtfully for a moment before finally agreeing.

The two reunited Kwamis spent the following several hours on that counter nibbling on their respective choice of treats, and catching up as old friends do. It wasn't until the sky outside started to take on a pinkish hue, and they suddenly heard the jingle of keys in the apartment door, that they sped out of sight again.

Tikki rushed for Marinette's bag, and Plagg shot into the pocket of Adrien's coat. Just as they were properly hidden, the door opened and Nino walked in, carrying a backpack and a small duffle bag.

Nino quietly shut the door behind him, then started across the living room to drop the bags in his room. His eyes were itchy from exhaustion. He'd left for Nantes yesterday in the late afternoon, and it had been a long night of performing and traveling. But when he took in the sight of the two slumbering people on the ground in front of the TV, a grin spread across his face. Marinette was curled up in a tiny ball underneath one of the couch blankets, and Adrien was bowed almost protectively around her on top of it, not quite touching, but close. Nino shook his head, stifling a chuckle as he deposited hisstuff and made his way back to the kitchen for a quick breakfast before he went and slept the morning away.

Alya was going to have a field day when he told her about this.

He tried his best to be quiet as he took out a bowl and a box of cereal, but as the small grain clusters tinkled gently into the bowl, Marinette stirred.

Opening her eyes, she looked around the room, confused for a moment as to where she was. Then, spotting Nino eating cereal at the kitchen counter several feet away, she sat bolt upright, surprised to find that she had a blanket on top of her. Looking around her, she saw that Adrien was still sleeping soundly, very close to where she had just been laying. She blushed, realizing how the scene must've looked, and she was very glad that the room was still a bit dark so that Nino couldn't see how red her cheeks must be.

"Morning," he said in a low voice when he saw her sit up, and she could hear the amusement in his tone. "Sleep well?"

"Hey Nino," Marinette whispered back, rubbing her eyes as she stood up and made her way to the counter. "How was your gig last night?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Eh, it was fine. Went a bit longer than I thought it would, but that's ok. What about you? I guess you two have been catching up, huh?" he said, smiling.

Marinette nodded, looking over her shoulder down at Adrien as a smile tugged at the corners of her own mouth.

"Yeah, he was trying to cheer me up after yesterday's critique. It, uh… didn't go so well."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Nino said.

Marinette shrugged.

As she fondly watched Adrien's sleeping form, the sky outside the window took on a beautiful glow. Oranges, pinks, purples, and golds filled the sky, almost like a painter had taken a giant brush and spread a mixture of watercolors out to cover the earth. The stark contrast behind the dark form of the Eiffel Tower and the surrounding shadowy buildings created a truly breathtaking scene.

And suddenly, something in Marinette's brain clicked.

Turning around quickly she said, "Hey, I need to get going. I have some stuff to take care of before my first class. Is there a piece of paper I can borrow?"

"Um, yeah… hold on," Nino raised an eyebrow at the speed of her sudden departure, but reached into a drawer and pulled out a scrap of paper and a pen.

Marinette quickly scribbled her message down, folded it up and gave it back to Nino before retrieving her boots, coat, and bag.

"See you later, Nino!" she said as he waved his spoon in goodbye, unable to speak from a full mouth of cereal. She closed the door with a soft _snap_.

Nino returned to his bowl as Adrien finally let out a gentle groan, stretched, and opened his eyes.

"S'up, buddy," Nino said as his roommate sat up and rubbed a fist in his tired eyes as he looked around.

"Hey, you're back," Adrien said sleepily. "Did you see Marinette leave?"

"Yeah, she literally just walked out the door two seconds ago."

Adrien stood up and made his way over to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He felt a sharp pang of disappointment that she was gone, but chose not to voice this to his friend. He was actually grateful that Nino seemed to be too tired to even tease him, as he could imagine how they must've appeared sleeping together on the floor just now.

"Here, though. She left you a note," Nino held up a folded piece of paper above his head, and Adrien took it eagerly.

 _"Thanks so much for last night, sorry for leaving so early but I know what I need to do now! See you soon! – M"_

A smile made its way onto Adrien's face as he read, and a small well of excitement began to bubble up in him.

 _'So, she found her inspiration after all!'_ he thought, and the prospect of seeing whatever designs were about to result from this spark made him feel unexpectedly giddy. If it was something of Marinette's creation, he absolutely wanted to see it.

Adrien looked up just as fresh new rays of sunlight spilled their way into the living room. Looking out the window, he saw that the grey clouds which had filled the sky for the last couple of weeks had finally dissipated, and a stunning sunrise was making its way over the horizon. Adrien sighed with pleasure at the sight of this brand new dawn, and made the move to start getting ready for his day that lay ahead.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When Marinette left Adrien and Nino's apartment, rather than descending to the first floor and leaving the building, she crossed to the stairwell window and climbed out onto the fire escape. The metal grating was covered in a layer of frost, shinning delicately in the rays of sun that broke over the buildings. Breathing out visible puffs of air, she gingerly made her way up the ladder rungs and hoisted herself onto the rooftop. Fearlessly, she moved up the steep slates and positioned herself comfortably between two chimneys to watch the light grow in the East, wrapping the frozen city in its warmth.

"Marinette? What are you doing?" Tikki poked her head out of the pocket of Marinette's bag as she took out her phone and started snapping picture after picture of the view that lay before them.

"I think I know what I need to do for my collection," she said, somewhat distracted.

Tikki smiled sleepily up at her girl, pleased to see that she was finally finding inspiration. As Marinette looked down to rummage in the bag for her sketchbook, Tikki let out a soft yawn.

"Tired?" Marinette asked, grinning at the Kwami before turning back to the sunrise, her pen poised in her hand.

"Mmm just a bit," Tikki replied, her eyes drooping a little. "Didn't get much sleep."

Marinette shot a quizzical look down at her, but before she could ask anything else, Tikki retreated into her bag, presumably to snooze a little. Shrugging, Marinette began sketching frenziedly, trying to get all the new designs that filled her mind out onto the paper. Now and then, she would pause to breath on her hands for warmth. It was chilly out, but it was still enjoyable to watch Paris slowly come to life. Puffs of smoke rose from some of the many chimneys that made up the skyline, and now and then a solitary person or car moved down the street below. All at once, Marinette felt both separate from it all as well as a deep part of it.

After a little while Tikki emerged from the pocket once more.

"Your phone has been blowing up. I think Alya is impatient to know exactly what happened last night," she said, blinking back the tiredness.

"Oh dear," Marinette sighed, retrieving her phone once more and scrolling through the collection of missed calls and texts from her roommate. A few of the earlier ones simply consisted of asking where she was and if she was alright. She wasn't surprised that the tone in these wasn't terribly worried. There had been many times where Marinette had stayed all night in studio – or had secretly been out and about as Ladybug – and neglected to check her phone, so this wasn't new for Alya. The vast majority of messages, however, had come in the last twenty minutes or so.

Clearly, Nino had informed her that Marinette was at their place.

"Well, _this_ should be fun," she said with a small smile, feeling a bit of nervous anticipation. Putting away her pen and sketchbook – now full of the beginnings of the most promising designs she had come up with in ages – Marinette stood and transformed into her spotted alter ego. Flinging her yoyo out, she flew quickly over the rooftops as the people, still warm and cozy in their homes beneath her, began to wake up.

"I CAN'T _BELIEVE_ YOU!" were the first words out of Alya's mouth the moment Marinette walked in the door. She had been positioned almost directly in front of it, blocking Marinette from moving past her.

"H-how long have you been standing here?!" Marinette asked, her eyes wide as she fought back a laugh.

"NOT LONG I WAS JUST GETTING SOME TOAST GOING WHEN I HEARD YOUR KEYS BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT!" Alya was giving her a look that was a strange mixture of incredulous and impressed.

Marinette quickly shut the door to prevent her friend's voice from carrying into the hall and waking their neighbors.

"What?" she said innocently, ducking around Alya into the kitchen to put her bag down, and reaching for the toast that had just sprung up with a soft ding.

"Nope!" Alya smacked the toast out of Marinette's hand, letting the two pieces fall onto the counter. "No breakfast for you until you tell me every single thing that happened! I haven't heard from you all night! And then Nino says he found you and Adrien spooning on their living room floor this morning? Now _what do you have to say for yourself?"_

"We weren't spooning!" Marinette said, feeling her cheeks heat rapidly, and remembering how close Adrien had been curled up next to her in their mess of pillows. She wondered again just when he had gotten her a blanket. "We just- I don't know! Yesterday's review sucked, and he was there, and he saw I was upset and–"

"Wait, back up a step," Alya said, holding up her hand. "Adrien was _there_ _?_ At your _studio_ _?"_

"Yeah," Marinette said, making another grab for the toast.

This time Alya let her.

Marinette moved about the kitchen to find some butter and jam, and continued on with her explanation of how the critique went, and how the Agrestes were no involved.

"Two weeks?!" Alya exclaimed when Marinette got to the part about starting her whole collection over, shock painting her face. "How on earth are you gonna pull _that_ off?"

"That's exactly what I thought!" Marinette said through a mouthful of toast. "And I was freaking out about it when Adrien came back from his critique and said I needed some distraction. So we got some food, went back to his place and cooked dinner and just… talked."

Marinette smiled yet again at the memories of last night, and of how easy things had been between them. Looking up, she saw Alya was regarding her with her eyebrows raised.

"What? I mean, I dunno, it was nice I guess. It actually turned out to be the perfect distraction, ya know? Anyways, we fell asleep playing video games, and the next thing I knew I woke up on the living room floor with _your_ boyfriend creepin' in the kitchen!"

Alya let out a laugh at this, shaking her head as Marinette turned to rummage through the fridge, hunting for some pomegranate juice.

"Girl, girl, _girl_ ," she said, smiling at Marinette. "Well? Do you still like him?"

Marinette froze, halfway through closing the fridge door, juice jug in hand.

"W-what do you mean?" she said, trying to play it cool, and failing spectacularly as her voice shook.

"Oh, come _on_!" Alya said, crossing her arms and frowning. "You don't seriously expect me to buy that, not when you spent so much of the last _decade_ head over heels in love with Mr. Oblivious."

Marinette turned to face her, putting the juice down in mild defeat.

"I… I don't know," Marinette said, and Alya cocked her head to the side, waiting for her friend to continue. Marinette sighed. "I mean yeah, I… I like him. But I don't know if I want to like him _that_ way again. I'm glad to just be friends, I guess."

Her words were mostly truthful, but she didn't quite meet Alya's eyes.

Alya looked at her thoughtfully, a slight crease forming between her eyebrows.

"Hey," she said, her voice taking on a more gentle tone. "I know things didn't work out between you and Nathanael, but you know that not all relationships end like that, right?"

Marinette looked up at Alya's words, surprised that she had pierced so close to the heart of the problem on her very first try. Slowly, she turned and poured herself a glass of juice, taking a sip before saying, "I just want to try and be friends with him, I guess."

Alya continued to watch her for a moment more, and finally said "I'll support you with whatever you want to do, girl. But please," her voice was earnest, "don't let things that happened in the past keep you from going after what's in front of you now."

Marinette nodded. Her eyes fell on her bag, and a small smile began to spread across her lips.

"Well, at the very least I know what I need to do for a new collection," she said.

Alya blinked, then realizing what Marinette said, she grinned.

"Found your inspiration, huh?"

Marinette nodded, a wave of excitement bubbling up in her.

 _'I might actually pull this off!'_ she thought to herself.

"Ready to share your designs, or are you still in production mode?" Alya asked, moving to put more bread in the toaster now that Marinette had eaten her first round.

Marinette considered for a brief moment, then shook her head.

"Nah, not yet. I'm probably going to spend the rest of the day finalizing my ideas, and then go get the materials I need before work."

"Bakery shift?"

"Yep,"

"Oh! Can you bring me som–"

"Yes, I'll bring you that chocolate croissant you like," Marinette laughed, picking up her bag and moving towards her room to change out of yesterday's clothes.

"Yes!" Alya did a small fist pump, and both of them giggled.

Marinette bit her lip as she closed her bedroom door and headed for her closet. She hadn't exactly _lied_ to Alya – it was certainly true that she wanted to be friends with Adrien – but how could she possibly explain her fears around trying to balance a deeper sort of intimacy without giving away her closest secret? Ladybug was as much a part of her Identity as anything else.

She stood there for a moment, pondering what Alya had said, and wondered if Chat Noir had ever found himself in this sort of predicament. She though idly about giving him a call; if anyone had any hopes of understanding what this felt like, it was him. He always did give good advice, and it would be nice to just talk to him…

Shaking her head, she shoved these worries out of the way. She had no time for this, there were more important things she needed to worry about at the moment!

She set her bag on the floor beside her dresser and, peaking inside, saw that Tikki was still snoozing. What on earth had that Kwami been up to all night? Marinette smiled and grabbed a couple cookies out of a tin that sat forever stocked on one of her shelves, placing them gently inside the bag's pocket for whenever her friend decided to wake up.

Not really in the mood to go through the whole process of showering yet, Marinette simply changed into a clean pair of jeans and a new sweater, and brushed the tangles out of her hair from the messy bun she had slept in. Putting it up again into a cleaner twisted knot, she smiled at how something so simple could leave her feeling so refreshed.

Finally, she settled down at her desk to hook her phone up to a small printer, and began to make hard copies of the photos she'd taken earlier. Marinette pinned up the first set of copies to the walls around her desk, and filed the second set into a folder in her bag to take to studio.

Then she drew. The hours ticked by as her desk filled up with crumpled balls of paper that got torn away the moment she didn't like a design. But the longer she worked, the more ideas came to mind, and the more her creations solidified until finally she spread seven pages out side by side on her bed, a different dress on each. Looking at them all together, she could easily see the cohesion between each one, but none of them were quite alike. There were small tweaks that needed to be made on a few of them, but still...

When Alya knocked on her door to say she was leaving for her afternoon class, Marinette realized with a start how much of the day had already passed.

"Don't you have a class this afternoon as well?" Alya asked, sticking her head into the room and watching as Marinette nodded distractedly, pondering her designs a moment longer before gathering them all into a pile and putting them in her bag beside the photos.

"Yeah, physics," Marinette said, bustling about her room to make sure she had everything she needed.

"Ugh, a standard core class?" Alya said, and Marinette nodded, shrugging.

"I'd been putting it off till now, but I guess it needs to get done sooner or later."

"Ok, well good luck," Alya said, leaving her room and heading out. "Let me know what you're doing tonight, Nino and I might go see a movie or hang out here."

"I'll keep you posted," Marinette called after her, finally locating her physics book under the mess of discarded papers on her desk.

Grabbing her coat and hat and wrapping herself warmly in her winter gear, she too left the apartment. As she stepped out into the chilly January air, Tikki finally came out of her pocket, munching cheerfully on one of the cookies.

"Mmm! Class time already?" she asked.

"Well, it's about time you woke up, sleepy head!" Marinette laughed lightly.

With the prospect of having her designs almost finalized and a clear path to follow, she was feeling almost giddy, impatient to just get through today's class and work shift, and start on actually _making_ things.

"I'm glad to see you're in good spirits!" Tikki said, and Marinette grinned, her pace quickening with the energy from her anticipation to move forward.

* * *

Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows as Adrien moved quickly around his desk, gathering papers and layout templates into his arms to file away before he left the office. He had already completed the lessons for two of his three online classes over the course of the morning, between meetings with various editors and designers. Now he had to leave his father's company building to attend a physics lecture, the only class of this semester he would be required to attend in person.

He had tried to push his father to allow him to take more classes where he could actually work directly with the professors and other students. Unfortunately, the only way his father would consent to his schooling amidst the heavy load from work would be if Adrien could complete most of his credits through the convenient mobility of his laptop.

 _'At least for this semester,'_ Adrien thought to himself, sighing.

Part of him was still hoping that he could convince his father to allow him to take more classes per semester in the future. Well, at least his father couldn't control which of the core classes were put online, and Adrien needed physics at _some_ point to earn his full degree, so there had really been no choice in the matter.

Adrien grabbed his coat off the rack near the door, but as he put it on, a familiar, muffled voice came from one of the inner pockets.

"Stooop moving," Plagg complained.

Adrien looked at him, his eyebrows raised.

"Seriously, why the hell are you so tired today?" he said as his Kwami glared up at him through sleepy eyes. "What were you doing all night? You had time to sleep!"

"S'none of your business," the small creature grumbled, curling up into a smaller ball and shielding his eyes from the light.

Adrien rolled his eyes, and as he left down the hall towards the staircase that led to the main lobby, he paused briefly at the ever-stocked food table and gathered up some cheese cubes that lay on a platter.

"Well, you're gonna need to be on point if an Akuma attack breaks out, so eat up." Adrien slipped a few of the cubes into his pocket – Plagg finally perked up at their appearance – and wrapped the rest of them into a napkin which he placed in the bag slung over his shoulder.

The Gorilla was off driving his father somewhere across town, so Adrien hopped a quick rail line towards the campus. Climbing the stairs out of the station, only a block and a half from the lecture hall, he inhaled deeply, a smile crossing his face. Even if the air in the city held a bit of a chill from the snow, the warm rays of sunlight that were finally shining down felt extremely wonderful.

Adrien had been in a cheerful mood all morning. The admittedly tedious planning meetings had not been successful in squashing out his memories of Marinette. More than a few times, he'd had the urge to call her up and ask how she was doing.

It had been a frustrating disappointment when he'd realized he didn't have her number. He'd thought about asking Nino, but his friend had already gotten such a kick out of finding them that morning, and Adrien didn't want to give him the satisfaction of asking for her contact info.

As he walked, Adrien wondered for the umpteenth time when he would get to see Marinette next.

Earlier that day, he had tried asking his father if they could do another critique of her studio. He'd hoped that he could convince him that the more professional feedback the students got, the better.

Unfortunately, his father had not bought into the idea, telling Adrien that he trusted the school's instructors well enough to see good designs, and he did not need to waste time when they had already been reviewed so recently.

Even this letdown had not been enough to dampen his mood, though. As he climbed the steps up to the hall's entrance, he felt the warmth that had filled his chest all that morning return as his thoughts turned yet again to the night before. Despite their not having seen each other in ages, being around Marinette had felt so… _familiar_. Almost like he felt more at home as himself – without the mask of Chat Noir – than he'd felt in a very long time.

Entering the building, he found himself surrounded by a large number of students filing into two different doors of the lecture hall. Looking over the heads of the people, he saw that rows and rows of maroon clothed chairs faced a raised platform at the front. A young man stood at a podium, scrolling through notes on his computer, the screen was projecting on the board behind him. The whole place was rather crowded.

Adrien scanned the area, and found a set of stairs to the side of the hall that stood under a sign that said 'BALCONY.' Deciding that might be his best chance at a decent seat, he climbed them and found himself on an outcropping which wasn't quite so overrun with people. He moved towards the first row of the balcony, and draped his coat over the back of the seat, careful to not make it uncomfortable for Plagg, whom he was sure had finished his cheese cubes by now.

Settling down in the chair, Adrien was just reaching into his bag to retrieve a notebook and pen when someone below caught his eye. She was turned away from him, hunched over a sketchbook in her lap. Though her dark hair was now twisted into a cleaner bun than she'd worn last night, there was no mistaking that it was Marinette who was sitting just beneath him.

Adrien felt his heart leap at the sight of her, but before he could call out to her and get her attention, the man at the front of the hall called for everyone to settle down. Settling back into his chair, Adrien listened to the man introduce himself as Professor Neal Sangster and begin a rather typical first-day-of-class overview. As he talked, Adrien found himself paying less and less attention, sitting forward in his seat to lean over the balcony railing, and watching Marinette continue to scribble things on her papers. It wasn't hard to figure out that she was certainly not taking notes on anything that was being displayed on the screen in the front of the room.

 _'She must be working on her designs!_ ' he realized excitedly, and he craned his neck to try and make out what was on that paper.

The hour and a half wore on, and Adrien quickly gave up on taking any notes, for every time he tried to pay attention, his focus would inevitably shift to what Marinette was doing. His fingers absently traced the tattoo along his arm as he waited for the brief moments when she would shift her head to the side or hold her sketchbook in front of her, and he could catch a glimpse of her new collection.

In the moments where he couldn't see what was on the pages in front of her, he found himself watching her instead. It was somewhat mesmerizing when her dark hair would catch the light just right to reveal the soft blue hues, or when she would pause in her drawing for a moment, and gently cup her hand around her cheek, her fingers looking so delicate and soft… Several times, he caught himself getting wrapped up in things like this, and shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. But each time he did this, he was reminded of everything that had been racing through his mind the night before, and that same confusion would settle in once again.

Towards the end of the lecture, Professor Sangster brought up the subject of homework. A muffled groan rippled through the lecture hall as most of the students expressed mild disappointment that there was already an assignment on the first day of class.

Adrien finally looked up, and grabbed his notebook to jot down the book problems that were being displayed on the board.

"I know, I know," Sangster said with a smile at the hall's response. "Homework is rarely fun. But for this semester, I would like each of you to pair up with someone to work together outside of class. I believe the best way to learn the concepts I will be teaching is to avoid trying to learn it all on your own. Your homework will be due in the drop-box outside my office before our next class on Thursday, and I expect each of you to find an official study partner by then."

At this, Adrien's eyes shot back down to Marinette, and for some reason, a small and oddly territorial part of him _dared_ anyone to try and claim her as their partner. As luck would have it though, she seemed so immersed in what she was drawing that she didn't even look up to catch anyone's eye, and thus no one around her was allowed an opening to ask her.

"Please submit the results of who you choose for your partner on the top portion of your homework sheet. Have a good afternoon, everyone."

At his dismissal, there was a great swell of noise as everyone in the hall got up and prepared to depart.

Adrien rushed to pack up his notebook and grab his coat, hoping to catch Marinette before she had the chance to leave. He smiled at the thought of being potential study mates, glad that this might give him an excuse to see her more often.

Adrien descended the stairs, scanning the crowd of students now pouring out of the lecture hall. Standing on the second to last step, he craned his neck, his keen eyes swiveling from one person to the next, hoping to spot Marinette's familiar dark head of hair. But there was just no luck in it; she was nowhere to be seen. Wondering how she could've beaten him outside, he made his way to the exit, and looked up and down the street.

 _'How on earth did I miss her?'_ he thought, frustrated at this unfortunate turn of events.

He stood there for a few more moments as the crowd of people dispersed till he was left alone on top of the steps, pondering what his next move should be. Maybe he _should_ just swallow his pride and ask Nino for her number? It would be easier to get around the teasing now that he had the excuse of a class together...

As he thought, Adrien slowly became aware of a disturbance up the road. About a block and a half away, people were running back up the street. There were a few screams of terror, and Adrien immediately went into high-alert mode as a man in a long, dark purple overcoat and top hat flew into view.

"LOOK OUT!" a familiar voice cried, and the next thing he knew, something very solid collided with him.

Adrien was roughly knocked to the ground. An explosion from somewhere above him rocked the earth, and a shower of rocks and rubble filled the air with a dust cloud.

Looking up, Adrien realized that the thing that had rammed into him was none other than _Ladybug_ , a determined look on her face as she laid herself across him, shielding him from the falling debris. He stared up at her in surprise.

She kept her eyes trained on the Akuma as it soared overhead, cackling and pointing a wand at people left and right, turning them into… were those… _giant white rabbits?!_

Adrien peered closer, and realizing he looked very much like the man on the posters displayed all over town, advertising a magician that was supposed to be performing that week. Glancing up to section of wall that had just blown out above them, he saw that there were large, shiny, purple playing cards logged into what was left of the brick façade.

"Greetings, Paris!" Adrien heard him cry out in a high, booming voice. "I am L'illusioniste, and now you are _all_ part of my act!"

"Ugh, I don't have time for this," Ladybug muttered, standing to her feet and pulling Adrien up with her.

She still hadn't looked at him, concentrating on the progress of the attack.

"Sorry for hitting you to the ground so hard, Monsieur," she added, spinning her yoyo in preparation to take off again.

"No problem," Adrien said lightly, grinning. "I mean, it's better than the alternative."

He saw Ladybug's eyes widen at the sound of his voice, and she snapped her head around to look at him in shock so quickly that she seemed to give herself mild whiplash.

"A-Adrien!" she spluttered. " _Ow_ … I, um, what are… Sorry!"

She let out a high, nervous laugh, rubbing her neck to dispel the pain.

"It's ok, really!" he assured her, letting out a chuckle himself. "I'm fine. You should probably get going though, it looks like you have your hands full with that one."

Ladybug smiled, shrugging her shoulders and nodding. After one last embarrassed glance at him, she used her yoyo to launch herself up to the rooftops in quick pursuit of L'illusioniste.

Adrien raised his eyebrows after her, unable to wipe the smile from his face. It wasn't often that he caught his Lady off guard like that, and seeing her so strangely flustered was somehow very amusing.

Shaking his head, he quickly sprang into action, leaping over the step's railing and turning quickly into the corner of an empty alley.

"C'mon, Plagg, let's hope you've gotten enough rest for this," he said when his Kwami peaked out of the folds of his coat.

With a flash of green light, Chat Noir came racing out from between the two buildings. Using his staff to propel himself up onto the snowy rooftops, he raced after his partner who, from the looks of it, was presently on the offense against this new villain.

"Good afternoon, M'Lady!" he called to her cheerfully, bringing his staff down hard between her and L'illusioniste, distracting the Akuma from whatever attack he was about to engage. "Mind if I _cut_ in?"

"Not at all!" she said, shooting him her usual dazzling smile.

"Well, well! It looks like a new _assistant_ has joined the show!" laughed L'illusioniste.

"Y'know," Chat said as he leapt around the Akuma, landing a few well-placed blows as Ladybug attacked from the other side of the roof. "I always _did_ enjoy magic shows. I even learned a few card tricks when I was little, but I could never do any big magic displays. I guess it was just never _in the cards!_ "

Ladybug rolled her eyes in exasperation as Chat grinned widely.

"There will be only _one_ magician here, today!" L'illusioniste cried angrily, flinging his arms wide and releasing a tirade of explosive cards from up his sleeves.

Chat Noir launched out of the way, grabbing Ladybug and pulling her over the side of the roof and onto a lower level with him to avoid the detonations.

"Looks like _someone_ is having _illusions of grandeur!_ " he called to the Akuma, poking his head up over the roof's ledge tauntingly.

Ladybug shook her head, sighing.

"I _really_ don't have time for this right now," she said, an edge of frustration in her voice.

Chat looked down at her curiously, but she just shook her head again, leaping up over the ledge and back into the fray. He quickly followed her lead.

"O-ho! I'll show you _illusions!_ " the Akuma snarled, and with a clap of his hands, a dozen puffs of smoke appeared surrounding them.

From each of these clouds, a doppelganger of L'illusioniste emerged.

Chat saw the familiar glowing butterfly outline the original Akuma's face, and heard the bodiless voice of Hawkmoth instructing him to take their Miraculous.

As a single unite, the clones let out a fierce battle cry and sprang forward, half of them attacking Ladybug, and half heading for Chat.

They all fought hard for a long few minutes; Chat spun his staff around in a flurry, deflecting attack after attack.

Finally, Ladybug called out to him above the noise.

"They're like zombies, Chat! Hit them in the head and they disappear!"

"Thanks for the tip, Bugaboo!" he shouted in reply, and extending his staff to the length of a baseball bat, he started whamming the illusions that surrounded him upside their heads. Eventually the last of them dissolved into clouds of the same purple smoke they appeared from.

Chat and Ladybug turned to face the Akuma, who let out a shriek of rage.

"You'd better watch that temper!" Chat panted as he avoided another barrage of cards, leaping out of the explosion paths. "We don't want you pulling your _hare_ out!"

"Well now! _T_ _hat's_ not such a bad idea!" L'illusioniste said, a menacing smile crossing his face. "BUNNIES! _ATTACK!_ "

Chat looked over at Ladybug in a brief moment of shared confusion before the sight of several of the giant white rabbits leaped into view.

Ladybug shot him a glare that clearly said, _'You and your giant mouth!'_ and Chat had enough grace to offer an apologetic shrug before they both engaged in battle with the giant, fluffy monsters.

"Is it sad that I can't even say that this is the strangest thing we've ever done?" he called to her, ducking between the legs of the first rabbit before it could kick out at him with its massive, furry foot.

"Eh, what can you do?" she replied as she tied two of the rabbits together at once with her yoyo and flung them off of the roof. "We lead some very weird lives!"

The ground shook as they were once again targeted with the flying cards of doom, and they were forced to duck together behind a nearby chimney to avoid the blast.

"Ugh!" Ladybug cried in exasperation. "I really, _really_ do not have time for this! Lucky Charm!"

She tossed her yoyo high into the air, only to have a bag full of bright red costume feathers fall back into her hands.

For a moment, they both looked at it, Chat cocking on eyebrow at her, before he felt an assaulting tickle in his nose.

"Ah-CHOO!"

He let out an enormous sneeze, reaching up a clawed hand to wipe his eyes, which had started watering.

Ladybug's eyes widened in surprise.

"I know what to do!" she said, and jumped out from behind their chimney to meet the giant rabbits who had poised themselves, ready for attack.

Chat Noir scrambled up to help her but quickly found that there was no need.

Ladybug was aggressively making her way towards L'illusioniste, leaving a wake of dazed bunnies behind her. With every blow she deflected from their attackers, she declared forcefully, "No. No. Nuh-uh. Nope. Don't even _think_ about it! Not today! No! _Denied!"_

Chat simply leaned on his staff as he watched her go, feeling thoroughly impressed with his partner as she took out an entire army of monster rabbits, each of which were easily three times her size.

When she finally reached L'illusioniste, she dove underneath him, opened the bag of feathers and threw it up into his face.

L'illusioniste froze. His expression contorted into a great snarl.

"Ah – _ah_ – _AH – CHOO!"_

He started to sneeze violently, and in his compromised state, Ladybug jumped up behind him, grabbed the top hat off his head, and tore it cleanly in two.

A small, black butterfly fluttered out of it.

With a grand flourish of her yoyo, Ladybug snatched it out of the air, cleansing the Akuma of its powers, and released her magic to restore the world around them to its original state. A group of several very confused people appeared where the giant rabbits had been, and with a 'poof' L'illusioniste transformed back into an innocent magician, who looked around, bewildered to find himself sitting on the roof of a building.

"Bien joué!" Chat declared, offering his hand out to Ladybug, and exchanging their habitual fist bump with a smile.

"I'm sorry, Chat, but I really need to get going!" Ladybug said, quickly moving across the roof and waving over her shoulder at him. "I'll see you around, kay?"

"Good luck, M'Lady, with whatever you need to do!" he called after her as she disappeared over the side of the building, swinging down the street. He sighed and shook his head, chuckling to himself and wondering what on earth could have Ladybug in such a frenzy.

Chat Noir waited a moment before taking off himself in a similar direction as his partner, using his staff to move quickly from rooftop to rooftop. He had every intention of heading home, calling it a day ,and just starting some homework, when he leapt over the top of one building to see Marinette's family bakery come into view.

And as luck would have it, at that very moment Marinette herself came rushing up the sidewalk to pull open the doors and hurry inside.

Chat was filled with a fresh surge of excitement when he saw her. Rather than continuing on his path, he dropped nimbly to the ground between two buildings nearby, and de-transformed.

 _'I think I'm in the mood for a pastry right about now,'_ he thought happily, emerging from his hiding spot with a smirk as he made a beeline for the bakery, the smell of fresh bread and sweet things reaching his nose.

* * *

"I can't believe I didn't have time to go get the materials!" Marinette grumbled to Tikki, who sat hidden in her apron pocket as she bustled around behind the counter. "Stupid Akuma, that took _way_ longer than it needed to."

Marinette had just greeted her parents, rushing up to both of them to give a quick kiss on their cheeks, and apologizing for being a little late due to an Akuma attack. They were quite happy to see her safe, regardless. Taking over the cashier position from her mother, she'd watched them disappear into the back kitchen. They were working on an order that was to be picked up that evening. It required three different intricate cakes, and they were just now applying the finishing touches. She'd just caught a glimpse of the beautiful swirling flowers that her mother was busy painting on the frosting before the door's curtain had hidden the cakes from view.

"And now by the time I get off of work here, they will already be closed and I will have to wait to get started on things _tomorrow morning!_ "

The lack of customers to distract her from her nerves about losing some of her precious time had left her with a nervous energy. She began moving about and cleaning things that didn't really need cleaning, simply for something to do.

"You'll figure this out, Marinette," Tikki tried to console her. "You already have each of the designs planned, and that only took you less than a day! And we both know how fast you can work when you've given yourself a clear path to follow."

"I know," Marinette sighed, picking things up off the shelves one by one so that she could dust underneath them. "I just… I really wanted to be able to have something good and _substantial_ started so that I could show Charbonneau and Meesh and the others. And the more I have to show, the better feedback I usually get. Plus, I _really_ don't want to give Mathis anymore fuel for his taunts than I–"

At that moment, she heard the small bell above the door ring, and turned around quickly to greet the new customer. Her stomach did a summersault when she found herself blinking up at Adrien.

He grinned at her.

"Adrien!" she said, feeling a twinge of embarrassment at how breathy she sounded when she said his name.

 _'You've been over this!'_ she berated herself silently, but suddenly her thoughts were full of how she had tackled him to the ground earlier as Ladybug. Ugh, she had been _laying on top of him!_ She was relieved when she managed to hide her thoughts with a natural-feeling smile.

"Hey!" Adrien said, walking up to the counter. "I saw you come in here, so I figured I'd stop in and find out if you'd made any progress with your collection."

"Oh! Right! I did, I've been working on the designs all day," she said excitedly, ducking down behind the counter to where her bag was hidden, and rummaging through her folders to find her sketchbook, which had the final pieces on loose papers tucked inside. "Want to see them?"

"Definitely!" he said, nodding earnestly. "Although I should tell you… I've kinda already seen a couple of them."

He grinned sheepishly and reached his hand up to run his fingers through his hair.

As Marinette emerged from behind the counter, clutching the pages to her chest and looking thoroughly confused, he let out a soft laugh.

"What? How?" she demanded, frowning slightly and cocking her head to the side.

"I, uh… well, as it turns out, we're kind of in the same physics class," he said, letting out another chuckle.

"Wait, what?" Marinette said, her eyes widening. "I never saw you there!"

"I was in the balcony, sitting right above you," he explained. "I watched you draw the whole time trying to see what you'd come up with."

Marinette's cheeks burned bright pink, and Adrien looked suddenly quite embarrassed as he realized he'd just admitted to spending roughly an hour and a half watching her.

"I-I, uh… I mean it was… um–" he stuttered, trying to recover from what he'd just said.

Marinette was forcibly reminded of how much she herself had always struggled to form coherent sentences around him when they were younger. She couldn't help the giggle that slipped out at this.

Thankfully, though, Adrien was saved from his miniature train wreck when her mother walked into the room from that back kitchen, curious about who Marinette was conversing with for so long.

"Adrien!" Sabine exclaimed, a smile stretching over her face when she saw him.

"Hello, Madame Cheng," Adrien said, returning her smile and looking somewhat grateful for her good timing.

"Honey!" Sabine called over her shoulder into the kitchen, "We have a guest!"

Sabine moved around the counter and clasped Adrien's hand in both of hers in a very comforting, mother-like way.

"How are you, dear?" she asked him. "It's been so long since we've seen you around!"

"I'm doing very well, thank you," Adrien replied, his cheeks still red from earlier, but recovering well all the same.

Tom strode into the room, various colors of frosting covering his apron as he beamed and clapped his hand on Adrien's shoulder.

"Adrien, my boy!" Tom said, enthusiastically looking him up and down. "Well, _you've_ certainly grown, you're about as tall as I am!" He held up his hand to comparatively measure between the top of his head and Adrien's, making Adrien laugh.

"It does look that way, sir!" he said.

Marinette watched them silently, trying to mentally process what Adrien had just told her.

 _'He was just interested in your designs,'_ she told herself. _'He was looking at your designs, not at you! Your designs!'_

Inhaling deeply, she finally started to calm down, and smiled at the scene between her parents and Adrien. She knew he was probably starved for familial interactions, and was very happy that they were already making up for it without her even having to say anything to them about it.

"Well, we still have much to do on this order, so we'll leave you two to it, then," Sabine said, cheerfully. "Adrien, sweetie, please help yourself to anything you'd like, it's on the house."

"What?" He said, looking startled. "Oh! N-no, that's alright, I really couldn't–"

"You can, and you will," Tom said, nodding authoritatively, the twinkle never leaving his eye. "Anything for a friend of Marinette's!"

Marinette watched Adrien, and saw the blush on his cheeks deepen by a shade. Even though it was a simple thing, he looked genuinely touched that they would offer him something like that. That they would be so welcoming...

"Thank you," Adrien said, finally nodding in acceptance. "Thank you very, very much, that's so kind of you!"

"Oh, any time dear!" Sabine said, and both she and Tom waved in farewell as they retreated once again to their work on the cakes, giving Marinette and Adrien their privacy once again.

They both stood there, smiling at each other and unsure of what to do for a brief moment before Marinette took the papers she still held in her hands and splayed them out over the counter for him to see.

Adrien gasped, bending forward to get a closer look.

"Wow," he breathed, carefully examining each design in turn, and reading some of the notes she had written next to each one. _"Woow,"_ he said again, a little louder this time. "Marinette, these… these are _incredible!"_

Marinette grinned as she watched him, feeling thoroughly pleased with herself.

She had worked each dress into a different design, every one of them being tailored simply, but elegantly. Her real skills, however, showed through in how she'd engineered them. They were planned in such a way that when whoever wore one of the dresses was standing still, the majority of the fabric would appear to be black; but when they were in motion, the various skirt trains would catch the air and splay out behind them, revealing a myriad of watercolors that would range from hues of blue and purple to bright pinks and golds.

"I was inspired by the sunrise over Paris this morning," she said, biting her thumbnail. "I wanted to recreate the effects of the dawn breaking and contrasting with the shadows of the buildings."

Adrien looked up at her, an awe-filled expression coming over his face. "Marinette, these are amazing! _Beyond_ amazing! I knew you were talented, but this is just… _wow!_ "

Marinette giggled, the nervous energy from before returning to her, and suddenly she didn't know what to do with herself.

"I just really want to get started on them!" she said, bouncing up and down slightly to try to dispel some of the tense excitement.

"Do you have the materials you need for this?" he asked, again scanning his eyes over her drawings.

"No. And that's just it… I was going to stop by somewhere to get what I needed before work, but then dealing with L'illusion– um, I mean there was that… attack, a-and I was too busy, uh, taking cover from the, um, the guy turning people into giant r-rabbits, I just ran out of time… to get things…" Marinette trailed off lamely, hoping that Adrien hadn't caught her slip up. "Anyways, once I get off work tonight, everywhere will be closed, so I won't be able to start working on it until I can get things together in the morning and just… ugh!" she said, flailing her hands frustratedly, and biting her lip.

Adrien looked at her thoughtfully for a moment before suddenly pulling out his phone, his face splitting into a mischievous grin as he dialed a number and held it up to his ear.

Marinette opened her mouth questioningly, but he raised his hand and she stopped, her mouth hanging open with unformed words.

"Izzy!" he said, his voice taking on a cheery but professional tone. As he talked, his eyes never left Marinette's. "Hey man, I need to call in a favor. It's for my friend, she's a designer at the IFA, and she's under a major time crunch to get a full collection started and finished by the Saturday after next… Yep… Yes, exactly. Yeah, so do you think you could hang around for a bit after closing so that she could come and pick up some materials?"

Marinette's eyes widened, her heart clenching as she realized he was doing something like this for her. He was using his authority in the fashion world to pull strings to help _her_.

"Thanks, man, you're the best." Adrien said, chuckling. "Yeah, we'll see you later! Bye."

He hit 'End' and put his phone pack in his pocket with a grin.

"Well, that settles that!"

"Adrien, I… Oh my goodness I can't believe you just… for me… _thank you!"_ she cried, suddenly rushing around the counter and pulling him into a hug.

Adrien blinked in surprise before grinning even wider, and gently wrapped his arms around her in turn.

A split second later, Marinette realized what she was doing, and quickly pulled away, smiling sheepishly up at him and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"So does this mean you're going to get started tonight?" he asked.

But before she could answer, they heard a soft ding, and Marinette realized it was Adrien's phone.

Retrieving it from his pocket once more, he looked at the message, a frown coming across his face as he read.

"What unlucky timing," he sighed, putting his phone away and looking up at Marinette.

She raised an eyebrow questioningly and he sighed.

"That was one of my father's assistants. Apparently they need me to come back to the office for some help with editorial stuff."

"Oh," Marinette felt a small twinge of disappointment settle over her, but she still gave Adrien a reassuring smile. "That's alright!"

He shook his head, giving her an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Marinette. Izzy will still keep the shop open for you, so you don't have to worry about that. I really wish I could come with you later, but…" he shrugged helplessly and looked down at the counter.

"It's really ok, Adrien!" she said, leaning forward to look up into his eyes, much like the way he had done to her the night before. Her face was full of sincerity. Then she had an idea. "What are you doing tomorrow evening? Because if y-you want… you could come to my studio once our critiques are done and see whatever I've managed to finish by then… I mean, it would be nice to have you come over, a-and maybe we can also work on physics and stuff. I m-mean, if you still needed a partner, that is…?"

Marinette trailed off a little at the end, seeing Adrien's look of surprise and suddenly feeling a little unsure.

"Yes!" he said suddenly, the huge grin returning to his face once more. "Yes, absolutely! I would love to, that will be perfect."

Marinette returned his smile, and reaching her hand out to him, she said "I can put my number in your phone, if you like? That'll make it easier to coordinate."

Adrien nodded enthusiastically, handing over his phone.

She quickly typed in her contact information and handed it back to him. Then, reaching into one of the display cases under the counter, she retrieved a piece of mille-feuille, put it into a small paper pastry bag, and handed it over as well.

He accepted it with a hearty "Thank you," looking delighted.

"Just text me your info whenever, kay?" she said.

Adrien nodded, and headed for the door.

"Thanks again, Mar. I'll see you soon!" he said, turning to wave at her as he exited.

She smiled and waved back happily, and Adrien headed out into the late afternoon sun, a fresh spring in his step.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Several minutes had passed since Adrien had left the bakery, but Marinette was still sitting at the counter with a silly grin on her face. She was still completely blown away with how the last half hour had worked out so perfectly. And now here she was, not only presented with the happy excuse to see her friend regularly throughout _at least_ the remainder of the semester, but he had also gone out of his way to make sure she could get everything she needed _that night_ and finally move forward with this challenge.

Her phone dinged softly, making her jump. Glancing at the screen she saw that it was an unknown number, but upon reading the message, her goofy smile spread further.

It was Adrien.

[A: So haha I just realized that after all that just now, I didn't even tell you where Izzy's place is!]

Marinette blinked, then let out a laugh. She quickly entered his name under the number's contact info, then opened up the message to reply.

[M: Hahaha omg I totally missed that too! I mean I suppose it would be helpful to know where I'm going tonight idk :)]

[A: Yeah, we don't need you wandering around Paris in the dark by yourself!]

Marinette raised an eyebrow. Of all the people who were out at night in the city, being Ladybug, she was probably the safest. She smirked as she replied.

[M: Don't be so fooled! I do know how to handle myself ;) ]

As she sent her message, a customer walked in and pulled her attention away from her phone for a few minutes. When they left, she saw that he had replied.

[A: Ok I promise I don't doubt that, but seriously DO NOT do anything too stupid or reckless when I'm not there to get you out of it]

Marinette's cheeks grew a little warmer at the thought of him wanting to protect her, but she wasn't about to let him win _that_ easily.

[M: Ok, so next time I see you we can go be stupid and reckless around dark suspicious alleys together!]

[A: You know what I mean! ,':/ ]

She smiled as she could practically hear the exasperation in his voice.

[M: "Though I be but little, I'm fierce!" ;D ]

[A: You're seriously arguing your point with Shakespeare? :P Impressive I'll admit, but pretty quotes don't hold up so well against a mugger.]

[M: Oh come on, I go out by myself at night all the time haha]

[A: Is that somehow supposed to make me feel better?]

[M: Don't worry! If I see a thug, I'll just subdue them! You know, use the heel of the hand, aim for sensitive areas, disarm them of weapons… all that jazz ;) ]

She smirked, thinking of what he would say to this approach, and she was swiftly rewarded when his response was almost exactly as she expected.

[A: Wait NOO! Now you're actually talking about engaging in direct combat?! That's even worse!]

Marinette rolled her eyes and laughed.

 _'Oh, if he only knew!'_

They ended up texting back and forth throughout the evening. There was a period of time where his replies started taking a bit longer to come in, and Marinette realized he had probably gotten to the office by now. Feeling a little guilty that she was likely distracting him from more important things, she texted:

[M: Hey, if you're busy with work, I'll let you focus on that and we can talk later?]

His reply was nearly instantaneous.

[A: Oh don't worry about that! Tbh it's a little frustrating that they called me in again, the problem they were facing was really nothing major, but now that I'm here the template layout team is pestering me for an opinion about every single tiny detail. Trust me, talking to you is definitely a welcome distraction :)]

[M: Adrien! If they need your help, you should be focusing on them!]

[A: I am focusing on them!]

[M: No you're not! You're talking to me!]

[A: I'm… multitasking?]

[M: You just admitted I was a "welcome distraction" did you not? ,':) ]

[A: I… Well that was… Ooohh you're good. First Shakespeare, and now you turn my own words against me! :P ]

Marinette snorted as she typed out her response to him.

Tikki peaked out of her apron pocket with a grin, thoroughly pleased to find her girl so happy about this boy again, especially now that she knew _exactly_ who he was.

 _'But it's not the time to tell her,'_ Tikki decided, curling back up in the pocket for a proper nap. _'At least not yet, but soon!'_

* * *

Chat Noir was perched on the ledge of a snowy roof, his eyes trained on the building across the street.

The day had been fairly warmer than the previous weeks, and the snow that had blanketed the city was finally starting to melt. Of course, this made everything rather wet and slushy, but Chat barely noticed as streams of runoff pooled around his feet. He was far too focused on what he could see through the windows of Marinette's third floor studio.

Adrien and Marinette had texted back and forth well into the late hours of the night before. She had sent him pictures of the cakes her parents had made, as well as of different fabrics that she was trying to choose from when she had visited Izzy's. He in turn had started sending her pictures from the office that he had been secretly taking throughout his meeting. He made it his personal challenge to find shots of things that would interest her, as well as making faces into his camera as he reacted to his team's tedious pestering for his every opinion. At one point he had accidentally taken a series of selfies at the exact moment when one of his superiors noticed what he was doing, and she had found it completely hysterical. Adrien decided it was all more than worth it if it meant making her laugh.

He honestly couldn't have said for sure when he had finally dozed off, his phone still sitting in the palm of his hand as he curled up in bed, but whenever it was, he'd deduced that she was still wide awake and hard at work on her first garment of the collection.

That morning, Plagg had had to roughly poke Adrien awake when he'd been determinedly sleeping through his alarm. Once he'd gotten into the office, though, he'd been attacking everything on his agenda with full force; Marinette's focus and resolution to do her best with this project had motivated him to put all the more effort into his own work.

Halfway through the day, though, the overwhelming curiosity he felt to see what she'd made – and hear what her instructors would say – had caused him to continue working non-stop through his lunch break so that he could leave the office early. He'd entrusted the coverage of any meetings that came up to Zachariah, who was just as capable as he himself was with handling everything.

Adrien was sure there was no way he would be allowed to actually be present _during_ the critiques; his father had made it clear that it was not necessary to initiate another review, so he couldn't use that as an excuse either. And he was sure Marinette wouldn't let him be there for it anyway, for it would probably look like some sort of favoritism. Not that it would make much difference in the long run, as he wouldn't be judging the students' collections at the Gala. But still, he didn't want to cause her undue embarrassment or backlash from her peers.

And so, the best alternative he could come up with – without actually waiting the extra few hours till their designated meeting time – was to camp out on a neighboring building and spy on what he could.

Pulling out his baton, Chat Noir flipped open the small screen and used it to zoom in on the corner where Marinette's desk sat. As he focused it in, the sounds got picked up, and now he could hear what was going on behind the glass. Her desk was a bit more cluttered than he remembered it being a couple days before. She had pinned up a series of sunrise pictures on the walls, and the designs he'd seen last night were laid out underneath scraps of black fabric. He could also see a handful of canned espresso drinks littered around. A clothing rack partially blocked his view of the mannequin that wore her first creation, but he could make out enough of it to see a high collar that morphed into an asymmetrical neckline and spiraled down the torso until it reached the left hip.

As he was examining the impressive workmanship, Marinette herself finally walked into view, accompanied by another girl with darker skin and a Mohawk styled into a long inky braid. Chat remembered seeing her talking to Marinette during that first review, and had been intrigued by what he saw of her glowing designs. She was bouncing up and down with excitement as the two of them examined the dress.

Taking a closer look at Marinette, Chat saw that she looked exhausted, but thoroughly pleased. She was wearing the same outfit as yesterday, and strands of her dark hair were falling out of her bun, framing the dark circles under her eyes. Putting her appearance and the discarded coffee cans together, he frowned as he realized she must've been up all night working on things.

After deliberating for a brief moment, he proceeded to look up the number of a nearby Thai restaurant and called for a delivery to be made at the studio building around the time when he was supposed to meet Marinette. He didn't like the thought of her working herself into a collapse, but he had a feeling there was very little he could say to convince her to take things easy. Well, if his Princess was going to stubbornly push herself to her limits, the very least he could do was make sure she got good meals to help keep her strength up.

He noticed the studio's instructors now moving in pairs down the long room, coming to each of the individual student's desks to review their work. Each person seemed to take only just over ten minutes to be evaluated, but at this rate he calculated that Marinette wouldn't be reached until the very end of the session.

Both she and her friend had returned to their respective desks, and Marinette was hunched over her work, sewing needle in hand and several pins held gently out of the corner of her mouth.

Chat Noir settled down to wait, sitting cross legged and tapping his pawed foot, feeling a little impatient.

As time wore on, his eyes began to drift between Marinette and the designs of her fellow students. He noticed a few that he'd assessed that Monday, and was pleased to see that some of them had already improved their work by taking some of his suggestions to heart. A number of them really did have great potential, though only a small handful seemed to have the combination of skill and imagination to come close to what he'd already seen from Marinette.

Chat smirked, confident that if she finished her collection in time for the Gala, she would very likely come out as one of the best.

When he next checked to see where the various pairs of instructors were in their slow migration across the room, something caught his eye. Pretty much every student was keeping to their own desk as the afternoon wore on, focusing on their designs without paying a ton of attention to what others were doing.

All except one, that was.

A tall, lone figure had been methodically making their way from person to person after they had finished their assessment. Training the screen of his staff onto this person, Chat recognized one of the guys he himself had evaluated before. Thinking for a moment, he remembered his name was Mathis.

His designs had shown amazing promise, and some of the best clean-cut tailoring that he'd seen, but there was just something about this guy that had rubbed Adrien the wrong way. True, Mathis had been polite enough, but there was an unsettling, proud air about him, and Adrien had gotten the feeling that this guys was used to using his silver tongue to get his way with people.

And Adrien had been around his father's authority in the world of fashion and business long enough to know a manipulative snake when he saw one.

As Chat watched Mathis speak to the other students, he switched on the volume of his staff, feeling curious. It looked like he was giving… advice? Mathis was speaking in low tones, so it was harder for him to make out, but it sounded like he was perusing their designs and telling them what sorts of things to change, whether to add a different color to _this_ garment, changing the neckline and skirt train on _that_ one. But… some of these suggestions were just downright _wrong!_

 _'No… No, no, no! Don't do that! That will ruin the garment's entire aesthetic!'_ Chat Noir thought as he watched Mathis continue from person to person.

He felt a mounting frustration as he realized that the sort of "help" Mathis was giving out was, in fact, just subtle suggestions that would end up ruining the other students' work. And of course people were accepting his advice because, well, he was one of the best in the program, so his critiquing must be sound, right?

 _'This guy has some of the best skills I've seen of any designer,'_ he thought furiously. _'Why on earth is he going out of his way to sabotage the others?'_

Chat frowned as he mused over this, remembering now how he'd seen this guy talking to Marinette when he'd first arrived the other day. She had looked so upset, but after talking with her in that stairwell about her critique, he'd never thought to ask her about Mathis.

 _'I wonder if she's ever been one of his targets of manipulation…'_

At this thought, his clawed hand clenched tighter around his baton, and a prickling hot anger welled up in his stomach. If that was the case, if this guy had done _anything_ to hurt her at all… he had a sudden urge to barge into the studio right then and there to confront Mathis, confident that a hostile visit from Chat Noir would make him think twice about crushing others to mount himself higher.

He inhaled a slow and shaky breath to calm himself, deciding there was nothing he could do about this right now. But he _definitely_ was going to ask Marinette about it later.

Finally, after what must have been nearly two hours, the lady Chat recognized as Madame Charbonneau, and a fellow instructor whose name he had not caught, reached Marinette's corner. Without realizing what he was doing, Chat rose into a low crouch, leaning forward with anticipation and holding his staff steady so as to not miss anything.

Marinette was busy showing them each of her designs and he watched closely as the instructors looked from the pages on her desk to the garment on display. They simply listened to her explanations, and by the looks on their faces, he honestly couldn't say whether they were pleased with her work or not.

 _'They must be!'_ he reasoned to himself. _'How on earth could they not be impressed, her work was amazing!'_

At that moment, a pigeon landed on the roof next to him, making him jump. He glanced down at it, then focused back in on the conversation. The pigeon regarded him curiously, and moved forward to inspect him. After a few moments, Chat felt a tickle in his nose, and his eyes began to water. With a sharp inhale, he let out a violent sneeze, startling the bird as well as himself.

He glanced back up at the studio, then quickly toppled behind the roof's ledge in a moment of panic, frightening the bird into taking flight. His heart pounded as his cheeks flushed.

 _'Crap crap CRAP! Did Marinette just see me?!'_

He'd seen her look out the window just then, his sneeze seeming to catch her attention.

 _'Oooh please let her not have seen me!'_ he prayed fervently, pressing his back against the ledge to remain hidden.

After a moment, he risked extending his staff a little like a periscope, and held the camera over the edge.

On the small screen, he could see Marinette still looking out the window, a slightly confused frown creasing her forehead as she scanned the rooftop where he'd just been perched. With a small shrug, she finally turned back to listen to what Charbonneau was telling her, and he let out a sigh of relief. But she kept glancing out the window in his direction, so he retracted his baton.

 _'Smooth,'_ he thought, rolling his eyes. _'Real smooth.'_

Well, now that she might be suspicious, he couldn't very well continue watching from the rooftops. He sighed, disappointed. Crouching low to stay out of sight, he moved to climb down the other side of the building. Nothing to do now other than to just wait for the food at the main doors. Well, the studio should be releasing soon, so at least he wouldn't have to wait much longer.

* * *

Marinette turned away from looking out the window for the dozenth time as Madame Charbonneau expressed her pleasure with the designs and garment she had come up with. For a split second, she could have _sworn_ she'd just seen Chat Noir watching her from across the street. But when she'd looked closer, all she saw was a pigeon deserting that same spot.

Trying to reason that the loud noise she'd just heard was nothing, and that the bird must've really been the only thing she saw, she tried to focus back in on the critique.

"Well, now _this_ is truly the kind of work I've been expecting from you!" Charbonneau was saying, pulling at pieces of the nearly completed dress to reveal the bright myriad of colors that were hidden under the black. "I am very much looking forward to seeing your designs in motion on the runway! I'd say the only thing that needs to be changed is bringing up the neckline of your third piece. And consider extending the length of the train on your last gown, it might really add to the last bit of wow-factor you need for the finale."

Marinette nodded, taking notes and grinning with pleasure that she had managed to get such praise for her work. With a last word of encouragement, Charbonneau and the other instructor moved to finish off the day's critiques at Meesh's desk.

Despite the fatigue that wore on her, Marinette bounced a little on her stool feeling incredibly happy about the way things were turning out.

It was true that she had sacrificed an entire night of sleep to work on this first garment, but _oh man_ had it been worth it! This dress was to be the first one of her collection to walk, and she had carefully designed it to be dramatic, shapely, and form-fitting. At least, until the model was to reach halfway down the runway and subtly pull one tiny hidden strap on the hip. This would release a flowing train of light fabric, comprised of deep violets and magentas, to billow out from between the black folds. Marinette still needed to test it on a model and really see it in motion, but she was confident with her work.

As her fellow students trickled out of studio, she worked a bit more, cleaning up the stitching on one of the sleeves and half listening to Meesh's stellar evaluation on her latest piece, before finally stepping away from her near-completed work. Feeling satisfied and excited to start the next dress, she turned back to her desk and thumbed through her collection, trying to decide which one to start next.

"You know, Marinette, of all the people in this major, I never really pegged _you_ for the one who falls apart under pressure and starts making eccentric funeral-wear as a last resort."

Marinette straightened up from her desk; unfortunately, she recognized that voice. Briefly saying a silent prayer of _'Lord give me strength,'_ she inhaled deeply and turned around to face Mathis, putting on the best confident yet disinterested air she could muster.

"Excuse me?" she said, raising an eyebrow as Mathis stepped forward to examine her garment.

"Well, I applaud you for finding your… _inspiration_ so quickly, but did you really have to choose, er… _queen of the undead_ as your muse?"

He reached out his hand to run a finger down the fold of fabric spanning from the collar to the hip.

"It's a black dress, Mathis," she said shortly, stepping forward and slapping his hand away from it. "Last I checked, black was still appropriate for most occasions. Anyway, don't _you_ have some dresses in your collection that are literally almost the same material?"

"Yes, but _my_ designs don't look like they belong on the corpse of some poor, ancient monarch," he retorted with an entertained sneer.

The muscles in Marinette's jaw tightened with irritation, and a number of scathing retorts flashed through her mind. But instead, she turned away from him to sit back down at her desk, deciding it would be best to just ignore him.

At that moment, the door to the stairwell opened and Adrien walked in, carrying a large paper bag.

Marinette's heart leapt and she beamed at him as his eyes found hers instantly. He grinned right back making his way over to her corner quickly, but she noticed his smile tighten and a slight frown cross his face when he saw Mathis standing over her. She opened her mouth to greet him, but was cut off when a soft, mocking whisper sounded in her ear.

"Wow, Marinette!" Mathis said. "You know I was _joking_ when I talked about you cozying up to the Agrestes. I mean, I know you need all the help you can get in this competition, but really! Tell me, have you been sleeping with all the other judges as well?"

 _"Excuse me?!"_ Marinette said once again, whipping around to face him. Her voice was high with indignation at being called a _slut_ of all things, and her cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the insinuation of her and Adrien sleeping together.

"Hey Mar," Adrien said coming up to them.

Marinette turned away from Mathis to great him, feeling shaken.

"Hey, glad you could come," she said, managing a small smile.

Adrien seemed to have not heard what Mathis had said, but Marinette noticed that he was pointedly looking only at her, refusing to acknowledge Mathis at all. Peering a little closer, she also saw that there was a subtle tension running through him, his knuckles turning white as he clenched the bag he was holding much tighter than necessary.

"Yeah, me too!" he said lightly, his voice betraying none of his emotions. "Did you get some good work done today then?"

"Monsieur Agreste," Mathis said before Marinette could reply. "What a surprise! I had no idea you were coming to review our designs again, though aren't you a little late? Class ended several minutes ago."

Adrien's eyes turned coldly to him.

"Mathis, was it?" he said, keeping his tone carefully polite. "I'm afraid I will not be giving your studio any more critiques. Today, I am just here to see Marinette."

"Isn't that giving her a bit of an unfair advantage?" Mathis raised his eyebrows in mock concern. "We all know that she needs whatever hand-ups are offered to her, but I always thought it was wrong for judges to show favoritism."

Marinette watched as Adrien did his best to channel the detached air she'd only ever witness him adopt when interacting with his father. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the fingers of his free hand flex irritably, though his anger still did not carry into his voice.

"To be perfectly clear, I am _not_ going to be one of the judges at the Gala, nor have I given Marinette any additional advice or instruction. She came up with these brilliant designs all on her own, which is honestly only to be expected when she's clearly one of the best designers in this school."

Adrien smiled graciously, but his eyes bore into Mathis', as if daring him to retaliate.

Mathis did not back down, though, and instead jerked his head in a mocking half-bow, a smirk plain on his face.

"Of course, Monsieur," his voice dripped with derision. "It _is_ reassuring to know that we will be free from bias when our collections are seen by _competent_ judges."

Marinette was utterly floored.

 _'It's one thing for him to speak to_ me _like this, but to act this way towards Adrien?'_

Mathis was manipulative towards those who held potential authority, sure, but she had _never_ seen him so openly contemptuous towards someone unless he _knew_ he could get away with it. Was he really so confident in his collection that he would risk insulting someone who could potentially sway the judges against his favor at the Gala?

She saw Adrien's eyes flash threateningly, and sensing the mounting hostility between the two men, she quickly moved from her stool to stand between them. She gave Adrien a cautionary glance before turning to face Mathis, cocking her hip to the side and frowning up at him.

"Regardless of any of that, Adrien and I are both _friends_ and _science partners_. He and I need to get together to work, and it is absolutely none of your concern if he has seen my designs or not!"

Mathis slowly turned his gaze from Adrien to her and gave her a wide smile that made her skin crawl. She forced herself to maintain her stony stance as an involuntary shiver threatened to run up her spine. _How_ this guy managed to reach this level of creepy, she had no idea.

"Ugh, Mathis what are you doing over here?"

Meesh, who had just finished her critique, stepped up to Marinette's side, and looked Mathis squarely in the face with an expression of disdain.

"I was simply having a conversation, _Michelle_. I was curious to see what Marinette had managed to scrape together."

Mathis didn't even spare Meesh a glance, keeping his gaze trained on Adrien and Marinette.

Marinette rolled her eyes and swiftly made her way over to the mannequin. She pulled it from the corner and spun it in a wide circle around her, drawing the hidden strap at its side so that it released the brilliant, flowing train in a flourish.

"Not too shabby for some garbage I just managed to _scrape together_ , huh?" Marinette shot at Mathis, unable to prevent a smug grin from coming onto her face. She watched as both his and Adrien's eyes widened at the sight. Adrien looked deeply impressed with her handy work, but Mathis' face was unreadable.

Meesh looked on proudly, before turning to confront him again.

"Ok, you've seen it. Now you can leave," Meesh said in a clipped tone, crossing her arms.

Mathis looked pointedly once more between Marinette and the dress on her mannequin, and the smirk he gave her made her stomach clench.

"My apologies, Marinette. I had no idea you designed something so… impressive."

Marinette stiffened at this sudden compliment, though was not convinced of its sincerity as his voice was laced with sarcasm.

"I look forward to competing against your collection at the Gala." As he finally turned away, Mathis shot Marinette a wink, and though she bristled with indignation, she was surprised to hear Adrien let out a soft growl behind her. Turning to him, she saw that he had is eyes trained on Mathis' retreating form, and they were swimming with abhorrence.

"Hey," she said, reaching her hand up to gently touch his forearm. She could feel that his lean muscles were taught under the layers of his jacket. He seemed to jump slightly at her touch, looking down at her in surprise. "You ok?"

"Am _I_ ok?" he said, frowning and looking her over. "What about you?!"

She shrugged, trying to look unconcerned, despite feeling a bit shaken deep down.

"Yeah, I'm fine! It's just Mathis being Mathis," she said, not quite meeting his eye. He was still looking at her with concern, but she did feel his muscles relax slightly.

"Of course, Mathis being Mathis would make _anyone's_ skin crawl, sleazy, pretentious bastard that he is," Meesh said, glaring at him as he returned to his desk, gathered up his things, and left through the door at the opposite end of the room.

Shaking herself a little bit as if to be rid of the residue Mathis left behind, she turned finally to Adrien and held out her hand.

"Hi!" she said brightly, her demeanor changing in a sudden effort to make the atmosphere lighter again. "It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm a huge fan of your family's work, and Marinette has said a lot of great things about you."

Adrien took her hand with a smile and shook it.

Marinette flushed at Meesh's mentioning that she had talked about him, but Adrien looked quite pleased at this news.

"A-Adrien, this is my friend Michelle. You can call her Meesh," Marinette said, twirling a strand of hair through her fingers with a slightly nervous energy, and trying to dispel the heat in her cheeks.

"The pleasure is mine," Adrien said, then glancing at Meesh's desk he continued. "You're the one with the luminescent collection, right?"

"Yes!" she said, beaming enthusiastically at his remembering her work. "It's definitely been one of my more fun collections to make."

She took a brief moment to show them the dress she currently had displayed on the mannequin by her desk, but it wasn't long before she purposefully turned his attention back to her friend.

"Have you seen Marinette's designs, though?"

Adrien looked down at Marinette with a smile.

"Only on paper," he said softly.

Marinette returned his smile, and led them over to her first nearly-completed dress. She proudly showed them the finer details of its engineering, explaining the surprise colorful train component, and feeling ready to burst with pleasure at Adrien's exclamations of wonder.

"Well!" said Meesh suddenly, grinning as she looked at the pair of them, "I have a lot of homework-y things I need to do tonight."

She hurriedly snatched her bag from her desk, and moving to the door, she called, "It was lovely to finally meet you, Adrien! Mar-bear, I'll talk to you _soon!_ "

The door shut behind her with a snap.

Finally left to themselves, Marinette let out a small sigh.

"I'm sorry about before, with Mathis," she said, looking at the smooth tile beneath her feet.

"Seriously?" Adrien said, and she looked up, hearing the incredulity in his voice. "You have _nothing_ to apologize for!"

Marinette shrugged and let out another sigh, absently wrapping her arms around herself as if she was chilled.

"I know, I'm just sorry that you had you had to deal with him at all."

Adrien peered down at her thoughtfully.

"Is he like that a lot?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm. More or less. I think he's like that to anyone he feels threatened by. He likes to be the best, and if anyone has even the slightest potential to challenge him on that, he uses all of his powers of manipulation, pulls on every string he can possibly think of, to shut you down." Marinette's voice turned hard as she thought about what he might have done to Meesh in the past. "He loves to play with people."

"Has he ever… tried to do that sort of thing to you… before?" Adrien asked, and Marinette could hear how hard he was trying to keep his voice light and even.

Looking up at Adrien with a smile, she said, "Don't worry about me. Remember, I can handle myself."

"Right, right… little but fierce, was it?" he said, with a small smile.

Marinette nudged him playfully with her elbow.

In that moment, she remembered that he was holding a large paper bag by his side. It was releasing a warm, enticing scent, and her stomach rumbled loud enough for them to hear. They both looked down to the source of the noise, and Marinette clapped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment, her cheeks growing suddenly hot.

Adrien burst out laughing.

"I-I guess I haven't eaten much today," she said beginning to giggle with him, his laughter becoming especially infectious in her sleep deprived state.

"Well, let's fix that!" he said, moving to the windowsill, out of the way of her work, and pulling out small boxes of take-out. "I hope you like Thai?"

He glanced over his shoulder at her, and she nodding enthusiastically, hurrying up beside him. They began opening each of the boxes to reveal deliciously colorful dishes of pad thai, curry, satay, and a number of other things.

"I sort of got a little of everything," Adrien said with a mildly embarrassed smile, reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "I wasn't exactly sure what dishes you'd prefer."

"Honestly, _everything_ looks great!" she replied. Just seeing all of it was almost enough to make her drool. "Thank you so much, you didn't have to do all this."

"I wanted to! It wasn't any trouble."

Adrien hopped up on the windowsill, facing Marinette and sitting cross-legged, while Marinette brought her stool over and pulled her feet up on it. He handed her a fork, and they both began sampling the different dishes, chatting happily as they ate. At his insistent promptings, Marinette told him all about her review and about how her instructors had been so impressed; in turn, he told her a bit about his morning.

It was as if their conversation from the night before had never ended.

After they had both nearly finished off all the food, though, Adrien pulled his physics text book and notebook out of his bag, and propped them each up on his knees.

Marinette groaned dramatically, throwing a hand up over her eyes and leaning away.

"Ooohh homework! Who has time for _that?!"_

Adrien chuckled at her theatrics. Then, struck with a sudden idea, he said, "Hey! What about this; I can read off the homework and stuff from the book while _you_ work on your dresses, and we can work through each problem out loud?"

Marinette blinked at him, then shaking her head vigorously, she threw her hands up in the air.

"Oh! N-no, I'm sorry! I didn't mean that I–"

"I'm serious!" he insisted, cutting her off with an earnest grin. "I mean, we both know you are on the world's worst time crunch right now, and you really need every moment to work on these dresses that you can get. I think this could really work!"

Adrien looked at her expectantly as she stared up at him.

"I-I don't want to be slacking or not doing my fair share of the work for this, though!"

"You won't be!" he asserted. "We'll be doing this together the whole time. We're a team! I mean, it always helps me to solve these problems out loud anyways, the only difference with this will be that you'll be sewing and I'll be writing the answers. Ah-ah-ah!" He quickly held up his hand as she opened her mouth once more to protest. "Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to make up with writing _after_ next weekend. C'mon, let's at least try it? Just for this evening?"

Marinette sighed, looking at her hands in consideration. To be fair, she too solved problems better when they were said out loud, and she _really_ needed to work on her collection as much as possible...

She glanced back up at him, his bright green eyes wide with expectancy. And… there was something else in them… an intensity that she could not place. She looked at the food containers, sitting nearly empty next to them, and was reminded of how he'd jumped at the opportunity to help her out the night before. A warmth began to grow in her chest.

 _'He really does want to see me succeed,'_ she realized suddenly. Though he was clearly trying to respect her process and let her do her own thing without too much interference, he really desired to support her in any way she would allow him to.

"Fine," she said at last, smiling slightly as she watched a smugly victorious look come across his face. For a brief moment, she was forcibly reminded of Chat Noir. "But we're _just_ going to try this for tonight!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The sun hung low on the horizon, painting the clouds above Paris brilliant shades of golds and pink against a deep blue sky. The weather had warmed up considerably over the last week, and the remainder of the snow had melted.

Despite it only being the end of January, there was a distinct feeling of spring in the air.

Rays of warm light were filling the studio with a fresh glow, and Marinette hummed happily as she move around her mannequin, a pincushion strapped to her wrist. It was the end of Thursday, only two days before the Gala that Saturday evening, and she was still overwhelmed that she had managed to do nearly an entire collection in just two short weeks.

As she moved to one side to get a better angle, her hair draped over her shoulder in a long, messy braid. She played with the end of it thoughtfully.

 _'I really need to get this cut,'_ she decided. It was getting long enough to reach past her shoulder blades. Shrugging this away for the moment, she crouched down to the floor to finish work on the dress's hem.

Tikki was sitting on a pile of fabric scraps, happily munching on a cookie before she was to hide in Marinette's bag for the rest of the evening. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw that Adrien was due to arrive at any moment. She smiled, thinking about the last week and a half.

It was typical for Marinette to be in a constant state of stress when a deadline approached, but her girl had hardly gone through any freak-out moments since the night Adrien had provided her with that first "mandatory distraction." Tikki was attributing her calm mood primarily to that boy. The two of them had made it a habit of spending most of their evenings in the studio. It seemed that the cheerful banter and lighthearted atmosphere that Adrien provided had done wonders to help Marinette get through this ordeal with positivity and a clear head.

There had also only been one Akuma attack since L'illusioniste, so Marinette had been able to spend the vast majority of her time on completing possibly the fastest collection ever made.

Of course, with the exception of physics, Marinette was letting most of her other course work slip. But she had reasoned that there would be plenty of time to catch up on her reading and papers later, as nothing major was due until after the Gala.

As it turns out, Adrien's compromise for their physics homework was working splendidly. He would read each of the problems out loud, and they would discuss the possible ways to solve it as Marinette worked on her dresses. If anything, this method was helping Marinette understand the various concepts better, as if simply talking through it allowed her to move away from the various equations that must be memorized, and look at it from a logical standpoint instead.

Tikki heard the door to the studio click open, and quickly dove out of sight as Marinette looked around.

Adrien poked his head inside the room and she greeted him cheerily.

"Hi!" he replied with a grin, closing the door behind himself and making his way between the desks over to her corner. "Wooow, you're almost done, huh?" he asked, peering with interest at the nearly finished dress that stood next to her.

It was a long sleeved garment that started black at the top and faded into a watercolored blend of hues around the flowing skirt.

"Almost," Marinette said with a smile, before turning excitedly to the large paper bag he held by his side.

Adrien had made it a routine to bring some form of take-out to the studio whenever they met up. Marinette had tried very hard to pay him back for her half of the food, but he had continuously rejected her offers, saying that it was his pleasure to help her, and insisting that she just focus on her collection instead. As such, she'd made a custom of slipping a few euros into his bag whenever he wasn't looking.

This evening, he had brought pita sandwiches.

"I was up all last night dyeing the fabric for this to make it look right," Marinette continued explaining with a stifled yawn as she pulled out the pita with her name written on it, and began unwrapping the paper encasing.

"You pulled _another_ all-nighter?" Adrien looked around at her, exasperated. "Seriously? The _one_ night I get called into work, and you just _throw_ all my efforts of keeping you on a decent sleep schedule out the window! Why must I be plagued so? _Why?"_

He threw his arms into the air in dramatic defeat, and Marinette laughed, choking on her pita.

During their second studio/physics rendezvous, Marinette had been running on so little sleep that she'd nearly sewn her fingers together on the machine. Ever since then, Adrien had made it a point to keep a careful eye on her, and whenever he saw that she was overly tired, he would walk her home so that she could get some decent rest.

" _Totally_ worth it," Marinette giggled.

Though he rolled his eyes at her, seeing how well the dress had turned out left him without a proper retort. Instead, he simply reached over and flicked her ear, to which she responded by leaning over and flicking him right back, another giggle escaping as she did.

Adrien took up a chair a few feet away from Marinette's desk, his physics textbook set aside on the ground for the moment.

To protect her work from spills, Marinette pulled her stool over next to him, and was sitting with one foot tucked underneath her. The other swung a few inches off the ground to the tempo of a song she'd had stuck in her head all afternoon.

They chatted cheerfully about things other than their homework. But after a few minutes, Marinette gradually became quiet, her eyes trained to where her last garment stood in near completion. She was vaguely aware that Adrien just said something to her, but her thoughts were elsewhere.

"Sorry, what did you say?" she said absently, still frowning at the dress.

"What's up?" he asked her, leaning his head sideways into her field of vision to catch her full attention, his eyebrows raised comically.

She blinked and then snorted at him, her frown momentarily disappearing.

Settling back into his chair, Adrien looked rather pleased with the simple victory of making her laugh.

"Nothing, it's fine," Marinette said dismissively, turning her eyes past him once again to stare into her desk's corner.

"That's not a 'nothing' face," he prompted. "Seriously, what's wrong? Do you not like your final piece?"

Marinette shook her head, taking a thoughtful bite of her pita, and gently sticking out the tip of her tongue to lick a little hummus off her upper lip.

"No… I actually _love_ this one. I don't remember the last time I was so pleased with a dress…"

Adrien followed her gaze over to where the mannequin stood, wearing her pièce de résistance.

"But…?" he pressed her.

"But I haven't gotten to _see_ this one!" she said with a huff.

He raised an eyebrow in mild confusion.

"I… what?"

"I mean I haven't gotten to see it really _move_ ," Marinette sighed, tapping her fingers on her arm frustratedly.

The day before, her studio time had been devoted to outfitting the models that were going to be wearing her collection during the Gala. Each of her pieces had come out beautifully, and she had only needed to make a few tweaks here and there. Unfortunately, her final dress had hardly been started when they'd come, so while she knew that the torso and sleeves would fit well on the model, she had no gauge for how well it would look down the runway.

And as this was her grand finale, she needed to make it _perfect_.

* * *

Out of Marinette's entire collection, this dress was easily Adrien's favorite. It may even sit among the most impressive of all dresses he'd ever seen in _any_ fashion show, if he was being honest with himself.

He looked between her and the dress before casually leaning his chair back onto two legs, saying, "Well, if you need someone to wear it for you, I _do_ have the most runway experience of anyone in this room."

The corners of his mouth pulled into a mischievous grin as he raised an eyebrow at her.

She whipped around to face him, her eyes wide with incredulity.

He pouted his lips out and sucked in his cheeks, giving her an overly comical model face.

Marinette burst into laughter. She kicked out at his nearest chair leg playfully, forcing him to land all for legs back on the ground before he lost balance.

He was laughing as well, his eyes crinkling with mirth as he ran a hand over the back of his neck.

"I-I don't know if it would fit you very well," she said, wiping tears from her eyes.

"Damn, you're right," he said, straightening up a little and trying to put on a tragically disappointed face, though failing through poorly suppressed snorts of amusement. "Curse these magnificent broad shoulders!"

Marinette fell into another round of giggles, shaking her head.

"Why don't _you_ wear it?" he asked her with a grin.

She shook her head, her chuckles subsiding gently. "Nah, I could never," she said with a small smile, turning back to regard the dress.

"Why not?" he raised an eyebrow at her, confused.

She shrugged.

"It's just… not a dress for me to wear," she said, not quite meeting his eye.

"Why not?" he repeated, not letting her dodge out of this so easily.

"I… I just could never pull a gown like that off," she said, biting her lip.

"Ok, _that's_ a lie," he said, and she looked up at him. "You're amazing, and you can wear anything you want to because you can pull _anything_ off!"

Marinette turned away from him again, but he could've sworn he saw her cheeks grow a shade darker as she hid her smile.

"Well, regardless of that, I'm the one that needs to be able to see the dress. I can't very well do that if I'm in it!"

"You can if you let me use my camera," he said casually, reaching into his bag and pulling out a large, soft, black case.

He'd been using it at work that afternoon; several people he'd met on trips to Spain and Italy were in town for a few days on business, and he'd been taking shots of his team and theirs collaborating happily on the February spread, which was to come out in a few short days.

Marinette looked from him, to his camera, to her dress, and back again. After deliberating for a few long moments, she let out a sigh.

"Fine," she said, smirking slightly at him as he nodded encouragingly.

She got up and moved to take the dress down from the mannequin, then pulled the clothing rack by her desk out in front of her.

"Don't peek!" she called, turning the garment bags at an angle to create a proper barrier before stripping out of her clothes and into the dress.

"No worries," Adrien said, cheerily turning his back on her to reassure her of his honesty.

He was feeling thoroughly pleased at having managed to convince her to do this, and though he couldn't exactly say why, his excitement mounted. His fingers traces the outline of his tattoo out of habit as he waited.

"Ok, you can look now," he heard her say, and he turned back around to face her.

Marinette stepped out from behind the clothing rack, sheepishly looking anywhere but at Adrien.

It was all he could do to stifle his gasp at the sight of her.

It had looked impressive on the mannequin, but on _Marinette_ … The dress hung delicately around her shoulders, clinging gently to her form. A translucent fabric began to fade almost from nothing just below her collar bone into the black that made up the rest of the bodice, sleeves, and torso. It made it look as though the black ombré was inked into her very skin. Around her waist, the dark material slowly began to transition. It was subtle at first, but as it flowed further down her hips, more and more vivid colors began to make themselves known. Violets, golds, magentas… He could see an entire sunrise hidden in the folds. Even her slightest movements caused the skirt to flutter and billow around her. She looked like a walking painting, as if she had captured light itself to create this masterpiece.

"You're wrong," Adrien found himself saying in a low voice. "You can _definitely_ pull this off."

Marinette's face went bright red as she grinned, embarrassed but pleased.

"I… I can't reach the zipper properly," she said waiving a hand helplessly, and glancing up at him before quickly looking away again.

Adrien blinked, then rose out of his chair with a gentle smile, putting his camera down as he went over to her.

"No worries," he repeated, and she smiled, turning her back to him and gathering her long dark hair over her shoulder so that it wouldn't catch. Pinching the fabric gently together with one hand, he carefully pulled the zipper up her back with the other. His fingers trembled slightly as they brushed along her warm, soft skin, and he quickly pulled his hands away the moment it was properly fastened.

She turned back to face him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear self-consciously.

He couldn't manage to take his eyes off her.

"The skirt is a little long," she said with a shrug. "I'm not as tall as the model who will be wearing it, but…" she trailed off, unsure of what to do now.

"You look beautiful," he reassured her, berating himself mentally for how much he was staring. "Honestly, I don't know why _you_ don't get to wear it down the runway."

She rolled her eyes at this, getting some of her confidence back at his words as she grabbed a pair of heels off a shelf on the wall and stepped into them.

"I'm serious!" he said with an earnest grin, "It suits you very well."

"C'mon," she said, laughing lightly, and turning to the door. "Let's just go get this over with."

They made their way downstairs to the level below, which held a long raised runway platform, with dark, velvety blue drapings hung around it. Marinette climbed backstage while Adrien moved out to the front, readying his camera to film for her.

"Are you ready?" she called to him.

"Go for it, Mar!" he called back, grinning as he began filming. He made a point to keep his eyes trained on his camera's screen, so as not to make her nervous.

Marinette stepped out from behind the curtains, a determined look on her face. The dress flowed beautifully around her, splaying out as if she was walking through a sea of colors.

Adrien's breath hitched at the sight. He moved along beside her as she went, holding the camera steady, and he could see her confidence building with every step.

What started out as a simple walk quickly turned into a full on strut, and Marinette's face broke into a pleased smile.

Adrien hurried forward as she reached the end so that he could properly capture the statuesque poses she easily fell into before turning with a whirl of breathtaking color to move back up the path. Once she reached the end, she turned to face him with a grin.

"Well?" she called, making her way down the steps on the side of the runway and hurrying up towards him. "How does it look?"

"Honestly, you look like a dream," he said before he could catch himself. He bit his tongue the moment the words escaped his lips, but even though her cheeks deepened to a new shade of pink, she just shook her head and nudged him playfully.

Marinette watched the recording a few times as they made their way back upstairs.

Adrien lead the way, watching her carefully to make sure she didn't trip, for she was completely engrossed in what was on the screen.

She held one hand over her mouth thoughtfully as she watched, and for a moment Adrien was worried that she might either be embarrassed by what she just did, or upset about something to do with the dress, but she finally spoke when they reached her studio again.

"I'm _excited!_ " she said, looking up at him, her blue eyes wide with joy. "I mean, I don't think I actually was before, but now seeing _this,_ I just…"

She bit her lip, smiling, and bounced up and down a little with a happy energy.

"Your collection is going to be _incredible,_ Mar!" Adrien said with a wide grin. "I mean, your dresses are absolutely stunning! Especially the one you're wearing now!"

She smiled up at him, then turning her head away from him slightly, she put her hand over her mouth to stifle a massive yawn.

Adrien suddenly remembered that his stubborn Princess had neglected sleeping the night before.

"OK, time to get you to bed," he said firmly.

"What about our physics homework?" she exclaimed, but he shook his head.

"It's Thursday. We don't have class till next week," he insisted. "Plus, you haven't slept in two days. It's time to give yourself a break, Mar!"

He smiled innocently at her as she shot him a look that clearly said _'Oh, c'mon! Really?'_ But as she tried to cover up another yawn, he crossed his arms, not letting the matter go up for debate.

She rolled her eyes, but was even worse at hiding the smile that tugged at her lips than she'd been with the yawn.

"Ok, fine," she sighed. "You might have a point about that."

He smirked triumphantly, turning to pack up his things.

Marinette went behind the clothing rack to change out of the dress, but as Adrien closed up his bag, he heard a small noise at the other end of the room. He tensed, and his head snapped around as he peered over to where the sound came from. The sun had fully set by now, and the other half of the studio had the lights turned off, though his heightened sight abilities allowed him to make out most every detail in that space. Nothing moved, but he was _sure_ he'd just heard the door at that end shut with a small _click_ just now…

The longer he stared, the more uncertain he became that he'd heard anything. Everything was still and silent.

"Er, hey, have you had any more issues with Mathis?" Adrien asked, keeping his voice light as Marinette emerged from behind her barrier in normal clothes, and gently packed up her dress into the hanger bag.

"No, nothing," Marinette sighed. "He's still just been sitting at his desk and staring at me like usual. Bloody creepy, but still."

Adrien had asked about Mathis a few times over the last week, but strangely enough, nothing much had happened. They'd both been expecting _something_ to go down, some sort of sabotage of her work to occur, but he hadn't even tried to talk to either her or Meesh. The only thing they'd noticed was that he seemed more prone to just… watching them.

Adrien crossed his arms, a sour expression on his face.

Marinette raised an eyebrow at him as she packed up her bag and put on her scarf.

He shrugged, then said "I still don't like that he's even doing _that_ much. It's disturbing."

"Well, it's better than what we anticipated would happen," she shrugged

Adrien's glower darkened.

"Look," Marinette continued. "When has that guy ever _not_ been disturbing? It does none of us any good to pay attention to him. I'm fine, Adrien."

She smiled, stepping up to him and nudging him in the side with her elbow.

After a moment he smiled back gently, though his frown didn't quite let up.

"C'mon, let's get you home and to bed, little Miss Sleep-Hater," he said opening the door, and she snorted, glad that he was at least able to joke through his concern.

With one last suspicious glance back across the room, he switched off the light and closed the door behind them.

They made their way down the stairs, and out into the night. As Marinette covered up another wide yawn, Adrien glanced up at the windows of her studio one last time.

His heart leapt into his throat.

 _The lights on the third floor just switched on._

Adrien stopped dead in his tracks, staring as a shadow crossed in front of the light, heading to the side of the room where Marinette's desk sat.

"I wonder if Alya's back from studying at the library yet," Adrien heard Marinette say sleepily ahead of him, and the sound of her voice snapped his brain into overdrive.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he hurriedly said "Oh no! Marinette I – uh, I just got a text from um – from Zachariah, apparently they need my help with something at the office."

Marinette looked at him, her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"They're calling you in at this hour?" she exclaimed.

"Yeah, they uh – we're in the last phases of prep for February's issue, so w-we are all in a major crunch these next few days."

Adrien was doing his best to keep his tone cheerful, and he gave her what he hoped was a reassuring smile. It was a wonder she couldn't hear the loud thudding of his heart, he felt like it was trying to ram through his chest.

"Are you ok to make it back to your place on your own?"

Marinette smiled up at him, patting his arm reassuringly.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," she said, turning from him with a wave and continuing around the corner. "I promise not to fall asleep in a bush. Good luck with your work thing!"

Adrien watched her disappear from sigh around the building's edge, then whipped around to face the studio, a hard look of determination on his face. Pulling open his jacket, he looked down to see his Kwami frowning up at him in confusion.

"Plagg, claws out!"

With a flash of green light, Chat Noir was sprinting up to the side of the building. Extending his staff, he launched himself up to the wide windows. Grabbing hold of the ledge, he peered into the room, and what he saw made his heart stop

A tall figure in a dark hood had taken Marinette's dresses out of their garment bags, laid them out over her desk, and was standing over them with a long blade in hand.

A feral growl ripped from Chat Noir's throat, and he yanked the window open with a great force. Landing inside the room, he moved into a threatening stance, his staff held firmly in both hands as the figure whipped around to face him.

Their face was covered in a black cloth mask, concealing their identity as they brandished the blade out in front of them defensively.

 _"You have made a very grave mistake,"_ Chat hissed, and with his muscles tensed, he sprang forward into an attack, his staff whipping through the air.

The figure ducked out of his way with surprising speed.

As Chat dove past them, they brought the knife down with a flash, aiming for his back. He swung his staff over his shoulder, blocking the blade. It bounced off the metal in a torrent of sparks.

Kicking his right leg back, Chat caught them in their knee.

They rolled into their fall, ducked behind a desk, and sprung up again several feet away to face him.

Chat leapt to the side over Marinette's desk. Kicking off from the wall, he launched towards them. His staff whistled lethally as he swung it at their shoulder.

Chat's mouth twisted into a snarl as they ducked quickly underneath him, sliding below a desk as he flew over to the other side. Still in midair, he clicked a button, and extended his staff behind him. It caught them sharply in the ribs as they stood up.

With a hiss of pain, they grabbed onto the end of the staff. Twisting his own weapon in their hands, they threw him sideways into the wall before he could properly get his footing.

An explosion of dazzling lights filled his vision as his head slammed into the brick, and he shook it vigorously trying to clear his mind.

The accoster was quickly making their way towards Marinette's creations once more.

A cry wrenched itself from Chat as he saw the blade flash through the air towards the dress Marinette had worn earlier. Grabbing a large sewing kit off a shelf beside him, Chat hurled it with all his might. The box caught their knife-wielding arm squarely, and the metal blade clashed off the side of her desk, millimeters from where the fabric lay.

Chat shot his staff forward once again, ramming it quickly in front of them. Spinning it sharply, he thrust it into their chest, knocking them backwards from the desk. He swiftly moved in front of them while they were off balance. His clawed hands grabbed at the hood, reaching for the mask that hid their face.

The figure seized a pincushion off of the desk next to them and launched it at the light switch, plunging them in darkness.

Chat's night vision kicked in, and for a brief second he was amused that the attacker had made such a grave mistake, putting themselves at a disadvantage instead of him. But in the moment of his surprised hesitation, they reached into their pocket and threw a handful of dark powder into his face.

Instantly, the substance blocked out Chat's vision. A sharp stinging filled his eyes, and as he inhaled, it filled his throat and lungs with a burning sensation. He spluttered, coughing hard to rid himself of this stuff.

As his grip on the shadowy figure slackened, they wriggled away from him.

He tried to lunge after them again, but his sight was blurred over. He couldn't open his eyes more than a fraction due to the gritty pain. He saw a fuzzy outline of his opponent reaching into their pocket again, and then quickly bring their arm down in front of them. There was a flash of bright light, followed by a loud crack that sounded like a gunshot being fired right next to him.

Instinctively, Chat Noir flinched away from it, shielding his face against further onslaught.

But nothing happened.

Blinking back the tears that were streaming from his eyes and down his mask, Chat Noir looked around warily, his vision slowly returning. There was nothing to be seen. The dark studio looked completely empty. Coughing, he turned his head this way and that, still standing defensively in front of Marinette's corner, trying to spot any sign of the figure. His ears were filled with a loud ringing from the explosion, but he still strained them to catch any noise of their escape.

Nothing.

He stood there for several long moments, breathing hard as his heart pounded from the subsiding rush of adrenaline. Finally, he slowly straightened up, loosening his grip on his weapon. Pressing a button on it, he shrunk it to the smallest size and hooked it securely behind his back.

Doing the only thing he could think to do now, Chat Noir gathered up the discarded garment bags, and began placing the dresses ever so gently back into them. He grabbed a thin strip of scrap fabric off the floor and looped it through the hangers, securing them together so as to ensure he wouldn't drop them.

Hesitating for a moment, he then moved forward to grab the bags that held Meesh's collection as well, and strapped them together in a similar fashion. With a final sweep of the area for the hooded figure, he gathered up the two bundles and quickly slipped out the same window he'd come in through.

Chat Noir ran along the campus rooftops, his mind racing as fast as his feet as he headed straight for Marinette and Alya's apartment.

 _'Who on earth could that have been?'_ he thought angrily, but even as this crossed his mind, he felt like he already knew. Who other than Mathis would have any reason to gain from Marinette's destroyed collection.

Chat's jaw clenched as he thought about what might've happened had he not been there.

Landing silently on the roof slates of their building, he slid down the side until he was clinging with one hand to the rain gutter that ran next to their windows. Carefully holding the bags over his shoulder with his other hand, he gazed through the glass, searching.

The lights were on in the kitchen and living room, twinkling in a cozy, welcoming way. Alya sat with her back to the windows, stirring a cup of tea and reading what looked to be a magazine of current events.

Looking into Marinette's room, Chat saw that the lights were on. The strands of twinkle lights from the living room continued in here. Papers covered a desk that sat right beneath the window, and a large bed filled with fluffy pillows and blankets was tucked into the corner. The walls were a light yellow, with large poppies painted across them. Various posters and photographs were hung up, and he recognized several shots of her family and friends.

It was an extremely cozy place; the only thing missing here was Marinette.

He searched the rest of the apartment, but his Princess was nowhere to be found. A stab of worry began to seize him as he wondered if something had happened to her on her way home, but just when he was about to turn and backtrack to see if there were any signs of her, the door to her bathroom opened.

Marinette, wrapped in a fluffy towel, came into view. Thick clouds of steam billowed around her as she twisted handfuls of her midnight hair to release the water from it.

Chat's cheeks burned red, and he whipped around to face away from the windows and give her some privacy.

 _'Damn, she needs to get some curtains,'_ he thought through the strange buzzing that seemed to suddenly fill his brain. ' _Anyone could look in at her!'_

As he settled with his back to the wall, his eyes were wide as he stared ahead of him at nothing, the image of her wet hair curling gently over her bare shoulders seared over them.

Chat waited patiently for several long minutes before cautiously checking inside once again. He exhaled a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding when he saw that Marinette had joined Alya in the kitchen.

Now wearing a pair of grey sweats and a light blue tank, she roughly brushed her fingers through her hair to dry it.

Positioning himself in plain view outside her bedroom window, Chat watched as she filled up a small glass of water, walked around the counter, gave Alya a quick hug, and made her way back into her room.

The moment she closed the door behind her, Marinette caught sight of him, his eyes glowing green above a small grin. Her mouth dropped open in shock, and the glass she held slipped from her fingers and thudded onto the rug, spilling its contents everywhere. But she paid no attention to it, rushing instead to the window and throwing it open.

He swung lithely over her desk and into the room, making sure his boots hit the floor silently, knowing that Alya was just on the other side of the wall.

"Chat!" she exclaimed in a surprised whisper as he turned to face her with a smile. "What on _earth_ are you doing he–"

She broke off, freezing when she saw what he was carrying. Her blue eyes went wide with shock.

 _"What are you doing with those?"_ she breathed.

Chat sighed, a serious look coming over his face.

"I was on patrol tonight," he said, smoothly forming an alternate beginning to the events of the last half hour. "I saw you leave a building on campus with your... friend, when I noticed a suspicious person in your studio space."

He then proceeded to tell her about the shadowy assailant, and how he'd saved her work but they had gotten away.

"I wasn't about to leave your collection unguarded in case they came back, so I figured it would be best to bring them here. Oh, I also grabbed your neighbor's work, just in case," he finished, pretending not to know Meesh.

Marinette took the garment bags from him and laid them gently out over her bed, a look of concern crossing her face.

Chat watched her for a moment, as she unzipped them to check that each of her pieces had escaped damage, then asked, "Do you have any idea who might have done this?"

She turned to look him in the eye, and he knew she was thinking along the same lines as himself.

"I think it might be this guy in my studio," she said, cocking her hip and putting a hand thoughtfully to her cheek.

Her demeanor reminded him forcibly of Ladybug in that short moment, but he shook it off as she continued.

"I've actually been waiting for something like this to happen for a little while now, so this isn't surprising."

Chat nodded seriously, pleased that she confirmed his notion.

"I tried to remove his mask," he told her quietly. "But as I said, he got away, so there is no way to prove that this was him."

"I'm sure it was him," she said with a sigh. "There isn't really anyone else it could've been. But I understand that we can't do anything without evidence." Looking him over, she asked "You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

He shrugged, shooting her a Cheshire grin.

"Nah, only a couple bruises. I'll be alright." Catching her look of concern, he chuckled. "Don't you worry about me, Princess! It's really nothing."

She frowned, biting her lip, but said nothing more.

Chat Noir watched her for a moment. Though she seemed alert from this turn of events, and refreshed from her shower, he could still see the dark circles prominent under her eyes, and how she seemed to sway a little unsteadily as they stood talking. She needed to rest, and this wasn't helping her.

"Well, I'll keep my eyes peeled for anything else," he said with a grin, patting her on the head gently before turning to leave through the window.

"Chat," he heard her murmur.

Before he could turn to face her again, he felt her arms wrap firmly around him from the back, holding him in a warm hug.

"Thank you," she said in a slightly muffled voice as she spoke into his shoulder. "I'm really glad you're ok. That you're not hurt. You didn't have to do this for me, but… You really saved me with this. So thank you… so, so much."

Chat Noir blinked over his shoulder at her, then his eyes filled with affection as he smiled. Twisting himself gently around in her arms, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to himself. She pressed her cheek to his chest as he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Anything for you, Princess," he murmured softly, feeling the warmth of her wet hair on his lips.

They stood there together like this for several long moments. He inhaled her scent of lavender mint shampoo. When they finally pulled apart, his hands tingled slightly.

"Get some sleep, Princess," he said, and she smiled up at him as he climbed onto the ledge.

"I will. Don't you worry about me, Kitty," Marinette replied, echoing his words from before.

Chat nodded in approval, giving her one last grin before leaping out into the night. His mind raced with a whole new jumble of confused thoughts as he made his way over the rooftops towards his own apartment, the lights twinkling in the streets below.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Adrien sat halfway down a long, polished table, tapping his pen idly on the arm of his chair as his eyes scanned the room of editors. They had spent the last two hours debating the specifics of the Student Gala that was to commence the following evening, and the meeting seemed to finally be nearing a conclusion. His father's team was working very closely with the IFA, taking what was to be a fine school exhibition and turning it into a much more formal event. Plenty of prestigious names in the fashion industry were now to attend.

Everyone had their jobs laid out for them: the event planners on the Agreste payroll knew the evening's schedule inside and out; the caterers had been updated on the final plate count and menu selection; and a couple dozen assistants were prepared to fulfill their roles backstage and help the designers and models be ready when they needed to be.

With the amount of detail that had gone into preparations, it was laughable that anything could ever possibly go wrong.

Adrien concealed a small sigh of irritation as three older gentlemen got into an unnecessary argument over what the proper length of the introductory speech should be. The amount of work he'd been loaded with that day had been more frustrating than usual, and he was anxious to get this meeting over with as quickly as possible.

The night before, he'd arrived home to find his phone full of texts from Marinette, describing everything that he as Chat Noir had told her shortly before. Apparently, she had been simultaneously conversing with Meesh, whom he concluded was both appalled that something so crazy had happened, as well as extremely awed that Chat had thought to rescue her collection as well.

Adrien found himself rather pleased, despite himself, at how much Marinette praised Chat Noir for what he did.

Though he would've loved nothing more than to keep talking to her for the rest of the night, he was sure Marinette would've continued to the point of collapse if he hadn't insisted that she needed to sleep.

And when his phone went silent, his thoughts had been free to become a tangled mess, with Marinette filling every last one of them.

He replayed that hug over and over again, recalling easily her warmth and delicate, shower-fresh scent. He couldn't help it. Holding her in his own two arms had been, well… _amazing._ In that moment, everything had felt right in the world. And she was the reason why. He pictured her once again in that gown, seeing her confidence and beauty as she had traveled down the runway, and he wished that he could hold her again…

They had been in touch nearly constantly throughout the day once Marinette had finally woken up – after a solid 14 hours of unconsciousness, of course – and each of the sweet, brief moments that Adrien allowed her to distract him from the stress of work had been the best parts of his day.

After dropping Meesh's collection off at her house, Marinette had told him she'd taken her own designs to her parent's bakery for safe-keeping. She had been in her old lofty room since then, finishing up every last detail of her collection and sending him pictures.

Towards the latter half of the afternoon, Marinette had texted him that her parents wanted to treat her with a nice dinner, to celebrate the fact that's she'd finished her work for the Gala. She'd already invited Alya and Nino, and was hoping he would like to join them as well. He had, of course, enthusiastically accepted her offer.

That was, until his father had ordered him to participate in this ridiculous meeting.

Glancing down at his phone to check the time, his incessant tapping took on a more impatient tempo.

Marinette had messaged him a couple times, asking how the meeting was going. They had already been at dinner for over an hour and a half, and _he was missing it._

Finally, as one last assistant left with instructions to triple check the event's music selection, all eyes turned to the head of the table, where Gabriel Agreste surveyed everyone with his piercing, cold gaze. He waved a hand dismissively. A sigh of released tension rang around the room as everyone stood and began filing towards the door.

As Adrien pushed in his chair and gathered up his things, his father surreptitiously caught his eye. With a twitch of his finger, Gabriel motioned for him to wait behind. Adrien straightened up, inhaling deeply, and began channeling the ever-standard, calm, detached demeanor. As the last person left, he turned to face the end of the room.

"Yes father?" he said in an emotionless voice, smothering all frustration he felt about missing what was surely a delightful evening elsewhere.

Gabriel leaned back in his chair and eyed him closely.

"You have been spending a lot of time with that Dupain-Cheng girl as of late," he said, wasting no time and hitting straight to the point.

Adrien stiffened slightly, but kept his expression blank.

"Yes, I have," he said simply.

 _'How did he know this?'_ he thought to himself, _'What does it matter to him?'_

Gabriel regarded him with an unreadable expression.

"She is an IFA student, one of your former schoolmates… the daughter of a baker," he said mildly.

Adrien said nothing. These weren't questions, they were simple statements of fact. Why was his father gathering information about Marinette?

After a moment, his father continued. "Adrien, you have handled yourself well enough in the public eye thus far in life. When you are part of a name as prestigious and well known as Agreste, there are a number of societal roles we must adhere to when it comes to how we are observed around others."

Adrien nodded. He understood all this, though he had never really had to make exceptional strides to stay in a good light with the public eye.

"I know, father. But I'm afraid I don't see how tha–"

"Then I expect you to choose who you throw your infatuations at a little more carefully, rather than chasing after commonplace, no-name girls who have no practice handling themselves around those of higher class."

Adrien bristled, shock and indignation suddenly pulsing through him. It was all he could do to maintain his placid façade. But still, he instantly spoke up.

"Marinette is _nothing_ like that! She would never–"

"This is an important event," Gabriel cut him off sharply, standing up to place his hands behind his back and make his way to the door. "And that girl is among those whose work is to be judged. If she was to be highly rated and the word of your, er… _relationship_ with her were to spread, the repercussions of people feeling slighted are _not_ something I want to deal with, nor will I permit our name being held responsible if she were to get attacked for any of this as well."

"Father, you don't _know_ her! She's–"

"What is more, considering her status, there are guaranteed to be others like her seeking handouts if they are given any reason to believe that there was unfair special treatment. That being said, I expect you to consider the consequences of your actions around that girl _very_ carefully. If I see _any_ reason that that girl is the result of hindrances in either your performance in this company or our image in the public eye, your connection with her is to be terminated."

"But father, I–"

"That is all, Adrien."

"Father wait, would you jus–"

"I said _that is_ _all_."

His hands were shaking, but Adrien bit back the many retorts that threatened to spill out of his mouth. As had been the case so many times before, he knew that arguing any more with his father – even on something so _absurd_ as this – would do nothing to help.

He watched Gabriel shut the door to the conference room behind him with a snap, and make his way passed the glass paneled wall as he moved down the hall to his office.

 _'How in the– he doesn't– how could he look at someone as amazing as Marinette and think of her as_ lesser _?! As a_ hindrance _?!'_

Adrien took a deep breath to calm himself as he put on his coat and left as well, heading in the opposite direction. But as he followed the halls and stairways out of the building, his frustration didn't abate. If anything, now that his father was gone, he was automatically removing his adopted detachment, and his anger was flowing even more freely.

How could his father make such insinuations against Marinette? Of all people, he chose _Marinette_ to disapprove of and criticize?! How was that fair?! He knew _nothing_ about her!

 _'And he certainly isn't about to keep me from her,'_ Adrien though determinedly, making his way towards the nearest subway station with every intention of joining Marinette and everyone else to celebrate.

"He doesn't know what he's talking about, Adrien," came a voice, and looking down, Adrien saw Plagg leaning out of his coat pocket to peer up at him. "He may make a lot of cool things and run a major company, but your dad sure does find a lot of ways to be wrong about things. He's even more of a dunce than you can be, so don't worry about it!"

Adrien quirked a small smile at his Kwami's attempts to cheer him up, but it wasn't doing much to help this time. Even as he made his way onto the subway, with Plagg continuously chatting his ear off to distract him, his mood remained dark.

After several minutes, Plagg ducked out of sight once more and Adrien climbed the stairs of the subway station, only a block away from the restaurant Marinette had told him they would be at.

The sun had set and a dusk was falling over the city, quickly cooling the air that had been so warm and spring-like that afternoon.

Checking the time on his phone, Adrien's heart sank a little further, and he quickened his pace.

 _'Maybe they are still eating?'_ he thought with a last little bit of hope.

But as he neared the warm, bright lights spilling across the road from the restaurant's windows, a small bell chimed and the doors swung wide to reveal Marinette, her parents, and Alya and Nino. They were all chatting animatedly as they descended the few steps down to the sidewalk. Tom let out a booming laugh at something Alya had just said.

Marinette was pulling out her phone to start typing something when Adrien's approach from the end of the street caught her attention.

"Adrien!" she cried, a huge smile coming over her face. "You came!" The rest of the party turned to look as Marinette hurried forward to where he stood. Adrien did his best to smother all the negativity he was feeling. Just the sight of her was already helping to calm his mind, and he smiled at her.

"Sorry I'm late," he said, automatically stretching his hand up to scratch his neck. She stopped to stand in front of him, her smile fading a little as she peered up at his face more closely.

"What's wrong? What happened?" she asked him.

"I'm fine," he said quickly, averting his eyes and looking anywhere but at her. "Don't worry about m–"

"Adrien!" Nino cut his words short as he and the others joined them. "Where've you been, dude? Marinette has been checking her phone all night!"

Sabine beamed up at Adrien as Tom clapped him affectionately on the back.

"We tried to wait for you, dear," Sabine said apologetically, "but Tom and I must be up early tomorrow and the restaurant wouldn't let us keep the table if we weren't ordering so…" She held up a small white box towards him. "I hope it's alright that we still ordered something for you."

"Oh! Oh no, you didn't have to do tha–" he started sputtering, but Sabine and Tom just beamed at him.

"Of course we didn't _have_ to, but we weren't about to let you starve when you'd been stuck in a meeting this whole time!" Tom said, chuckling.

Grinning hugely, Adrien gently took the box from Sabine's hands, gratitude washing over him.

"Thank you!" he said, opening the box's lid to reveal caramelized pork and sliced potatoes covered in a mushroom and onion sauce, and sprinkled with fresh rosemary sprigs. The delicate, savory smell wafted around him, and his mouth watered in eager anticipation.

"We listened to what these three thought you might like," Tom gestured one of his large hands to Alya, Nino, and Marinette.

Marinette was smiling gently at him, but there was still a slight crease between her eyebrows.

"This is wonderful, thanks so much!" Adrien said, grinning at all of them.

"Of course, sweetie!" Sabine replied, reaching up and gently patting him on the cheek.

"Don't worry about missing _all_ the fun though," Alya said cheerily. "The night has only just begun!"

"We're going to do karaoke, dude," Nino said, swinging an arm over Adrien and hanging it around his neck. "I've been wanting to try out that new bar by la Seine that just opened last month, and getting all my favorite people to go on a night of celebration is as good a time as any."

Adrien laughed at this. Leave it to Nino to make sure there was always music involved in a Friday night on the town.

"I was just about to let you know where we were going," said Marinette, holding up her phone, "but, well, your timing was impeccable."

"If only _we_ didn't have to be up so early," Tom lamented with a wistful sigh. "I'd _love_ do go out and do some singing! Honey, maybe we could–"

"The last time you chose to stay up late before a four am shift, you burnt several loaves of bread, mixed up the dye colors for the macaroons, and dropped an entire tray of eclairs, all before ten." Sabine said with a smirk, raising an eyebrow at her husband. "We are getting you home and to bed on time. Let the kids have their fun without our intrusion."

"Don't worry, you guys are never an intrusion," Marinette said with a smile, stepping forward to give her parents a hug and a quick peck on each of their cheeks.

"We'll make sure to get you on the mic next time, Monsieur Dupain," Nino said with a chuckle. "It'll be great to see you belt some notes!"

 _"Well it's a marvelous night for a moondance, with the stars up above in your eyes!"_ Tom began singing loudly in a boisterous, jazzy voice, making Adrien jump and the others double over with laughter.

"Come on, dear," Sabine said, giggling and wrapping her arm around his to pull him gently away from the group. "Have a wonderful time, you guys! We'll see you tomorrow!"

 _"Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love!"_

The four of them laughed as they watched the couple make their way down the street and disappear around the corner, Tom still singing jovially at the top of his lungs.

Nino, with his arm still around Adrien's shoulders, grabbed Alya's hand and began leading them down the road in the opposite direction. Alya looped her arm around Marinette's, and the group made their way to the subway station Adrien had just come from, chatting happily.

Marinette stayed close to Adrien as they boarded the train, and she made a point to take the seat next to him.

Adrien pointedly ignored the concerned looks she kept shooting him, and instead began enthusiastically eating the food while laughing at Nino's jokes. They were sitting very close together, though, and Marinette did manage to catch his eye, but he quickly looked away as he had before. With Nino and Alya keeping up a constant dialogue with him, there was never another chance for her to ask what was wrong, so she seemed to finally lay the matter aside for the time being and joined in their cheerful banter.

Adrien finished off his meal with gusto by the time they exited the train, and disposed of the box in a recycling bin at the top of the steps as they exited the platform onto the street above.

The bar was only a short block away, and the street was filled with lights and laughter as the people of Paris enjoyed the freedoms of a Friday night. Strains of upbeat music were coming from several nearby locations, and Nino twirled Alya around as they walked, both of them grinning at each other.

Adrien looked at Marinette as they followed close behind, and she smiled lightly at the sight of them.

In that moment, he felt a sudden urge to take her up into his own arms and dance with her down the sidewalk as well. Shaking his head a little, he thrust his hands into his pockets and looked resolutely forward as they rounded the corner and their destination came into sight.

"After you, my dear!" Nino said to Alya as he held the door open for them.

"Why thank you sir!" she said with a wink, and stepped inside, followed closely by the rest.

They found themselves in a small entry chamber, with a smooth black polished floor that sparkled from the golden lights that hung overhead. There was a small line of people waiting to be allowed into the main bar that lay past the floor-to-ceiling screen behind the welcome counter.

The place itself was rather cozy and intimate, though every table and seat was fully occupied. Through the slats in the screen, Adrien could make out a crowd of people seated at small dining tables with tiny warm lanterns and candles at each. The people were cheering on whoever had just climbed on the stage that stood at the far end of the small room. A bar counter was just visible off to one corner, lit with the same gold lights that filled the entry. It created an interesting contrast with the blue and violet lights that shone brightly from the stage, filling the rest of the space with a soft, magical glow.

Gentle music reached them as Nino made his way past the throng of people and up to the girl behind the counter.

"Hi!" he greeted her with a smile. "I called ahead with a reservation this afternoon under 'Nino'?"

 _"Summer comes, winter fades. Here we are, just the same…"_ A woman's honey voice rang out, and there was a scattering of cheers from the crowd.

"Ok, just one sec," the girl said cheerfully to Nino, scrolling through a list of names on the tablet displayed in front of her. "Party of four?" she asked, looking up at each of them in turn.

"That's right," he nodded.

 _"There used to be an empty space. A photograph without a face,"_ The woman's voice was joined with that of a man's and the music swelled into a sweet harmony.

"It's a pleasure to have you with us tonight, DJ-Nine!" The girl grinned at Nino and Alya, who chuckled at the recognition. "We'll have a table ready for you in just a moment."

Adrien glanced down at Marinette.

She stood on her tiptoes to peer over the crowd up to the stage, her hands clasped excitedly over her heart as she watched the couple singing with a smile.

He felt a tug at the corners of his own mouth as he watched her sway gently to the tune. Some of the low-lying anger about what his father said still remained, but for now, he was content to just be around her. A warmth began to fill his chest.

 _"So please don't say you love me, 'Cus I might not say it back. Doesn't mean my heart's not skipping when you look at me like that…"_

They were lead to an alcove towards the back center of the room. A small, round table sat surrounded by a curved booth, which they all slid into, Alya and Marinette in the middle, with the guys on either side of them. They ordered a round of drinks from the waiter.

 _"Just please don't say you love me, 'Cus I might not say it back."_

The song ended to applause from the audience, and the couple on stage laughed and bowed before making way for the next karaoke group.

The waiter brought their drink orders to their table, and Alya raised her glass in the air.

"I propose a toast!" she said, beaming at Marinette. "To the craziest, most talented designer Paris has ever seen, who not only finished an entire _freaking gorgeous_ collection in just two weeks, but also managed to get done a whole day in advance!"

They all raised their drinks, and Marinette giggled, trying to cover her beat-red face with her free hand.

"To Marinette!"

"Cheers, Marinette!" the guys echoed Alya, and they all took a happy sip as Marinette laughed and stuttered her gratitude.

"Alright! Let's get this party going!" Nino said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

Alya and Nino began looking through the long list of songs excitedly, and Adrien watched Marinette taking everything in with her wide, cheerful eyes.

"Hey, it looks like there are a number of songs that can be done with the live band," Alya said enthusiastically, pointing at the list for Marinette to see. "Oh my gosh, you gotta do this one with me!" she said, pointing one of the titles out. But Marinette shook her head laughing, her dark hair falling over her shoulder.

"Oh no no! I'm gonna need another drink or two before you even _think_ about dragging me up there!" she said with a giggle.

Alya rolled her eyes, but grinned.

"Fine, but I'm getting you to sing with me one way or another, friend!" she said. Then, turning to Nino again, she began plotting which songs to duet or try as a whole group.

The two of them quickly put their names on the list, and they all chatted happily while they listened to a handful of other performers. Some of the people singing were actually pretty impressive, while some were hilariously awful and played to the crowd's encouragement and amusement.

Alya's and Nino's turn came right when their waiter brought them a second round of drinks. Alya took a quick sip, then they both ran up to the stage laughing, hand in hand. They approached the band members who were sitting off to the side and got into a hushed conversation.

The man who had played the keyboard for a couple of previous songs was looking between the two of them with raised eyebrows before a wide smile spread across his face. He gave Nino a fist bump, nodding in agreement to something they had said, and sat back down while the rest of the band took up their instruments. Nino pulled a mic over in front of the keyboard and experimentally thrummed a few notes. A hush fell over most the crowd, and a few people whooped when they realized what was happening.

Alya shot Nino a grin, gathering the mic into her hand and swinging her hips to the beat as he started playing a jazzy tune. The band followed his lead and they fell into an easy, upbeat groove.

 _"The way you wear your hat,"_ Alya began in a sultry voice, and the some of the crowd cheered in approval. _"The way you sip your tea. The memory of all that, no no they can't take that away from me!"_

 _"The way you smile just beams…"_ Nino joined her in a smooth harmony, and there was more applause as they really got into the swing of things together.

"Wow!" exclaimed Adrien as Marinette cheered beside him. "They sound _amazing_ together!"

"Right?" Marinette said, nodding in agreement. "I've seen them perform together during a couple of Nino's smaller concerts, and they always totally _kill_ it!"

 _"… The way you haunt my dreams, no no they can't take that away from me!..."_

Marinette reached for her drink, and taking a sip, she turned to face him pointedly.

"Ok, now spill. What happened?"

Adrien blinked down at her in shock, his smile disappearing at the abrupt change in topic.

"I don't… That's not… Nothing! It's fine, I'm fine."

Tripping over his words, he tried to pull an innocent grin back onto his face, but she wasn't buying it.

"C'mon Adrien, I know you better than that," she said with a slight frown at his attempts at evasion.

"It… it was just some stuff at work. Long day, you know, and lots of people wanted my help with things," he said shrugging, and turned back to face the performance. It wasn't a _total_ lie, his day had been pretty busy.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Marinette regarding him closely.

"Is it something to do with your father?" she asked softly.

Adrien froze in the middle of reaching for his drink. An unbidden flood of emotion coursed through him, as if her saying it out loud had officially opened a door. Of _course_ she would see straight to the heart of the matter. That was Marinette for you.

Sighing in mild defeat, he slumped a little lower in the booth, and allowed the scowl he'd been fighting all that night to finally paint his face.

"Yeah, it is," he said, reaching his hand the last few inches towards his drink and downing perhaps an unnecessarily large gulp.

"I don't want to push you, Adrien," he heard her say, and glancing at her he saw that she was looking down at her hands, now seeming a little unsure. "But I just… I mean, if you need to talk, you know I'm always here to listen."

As with so many times before, he felt the sudden, strong need to just reach out and pull her close to him. To just _hold_ her. To feel her steady comforting presence with his own two hands. Here she was, wanting so much to help him and support him, but also respecting him enough to give him space.

 _"…The way we danced till three, the way you changed my life…"_

Their hug from the night before flashed through his mind once again.

The idea of lying to her, in that moment, seemed very wrong. She had already trusted him with so many things. He knew he now needed to trust _her_ enough to understand everything, especially how he felt. She deserved the truth from him.

"My father has convinced himself that my relationship with you somehow risks endangering my public reputation," he finally said, turning to her.

Marinette's eyes widened in surprise, and he hurriedly continued, trying desperately to convey how absurd he thought it was.

"He said that… if you were to get high marks from the judges tomorrow, people would warp it into being favoritism. And that they would either attack us for it, demanding similar special treatment, or they might feel slighted and go after us for some convoluted revenge. But that's _not_ going to happen. I won't _let_ that happen. If I had to address every single person who came forward with even the slightest complaint, I would!" As he spoke, his words began to rush together with urgency in his desire to explain everything to her. "I-I'm sorry, I'm so sorry that my father feels the way he does, I just…"

Marinette watched him as he said all this, her expression unreadable.

"Do you think things _would_ end up better if we didn't spend time together?" she asked.

He shook his head vehemently, completely rejecting the idea. Try and stay away from her? Now _that_ was damn near unthinkable.

"No. Absolutely not. Please, _please_ Marinette, don't take any stock in what he said. I mean, for the longest time he had _Nino_ banned from our house _just_ for suggesting that I should get a birthday party, remember?"

"Adrien, I don't want to be a cause of strife or tension… for you _or_ your father."

"Marinette," he said, his voice colored with emotion as he turned to better look her directly in the eye. "You are one of the most important people I have in my life. I am _so_ lucky to know you, and… You are… I value our friendship so much. I… I don't… Please don't think you could ever be something like that."

His heart was pounding. Part of him was embarrassed by the honesty in his own words, but much larger part was just so determined to make her understand how much he cared for her, and that he was completely against everything his father had said. Though the thought had never crossed his mind before, he suddenly found that he was afraid of losing her.

Marinette looked at him in surprise for a moment before a soft smile spread across her face. She turned slightly to better lean into his side. Gently, she rested her head on his shoulder, laced her arm through his, and began tracing his tattoo with her soft, warm fingers.

 _"…We may never, never meet again, on the bumpy road to love…"_

"Thank you, Adrien. You're one of the most important people to me, as well." Marinette's voice was still quiet, but Adrien could hear a determination behind it. "You've helped me more than you know, and I'm very thankful for you. For as long as you want me around, I'll be here. I promise."

Adrien smiled a true, easy smile for the first time that evening.

The resolution in her words was more reassuring than he could've expected. Waves of gratitude rushed over him, but no matter how he phrased it in his mind, any form of "Thank you" just didn't seem enough to convey what he was feeling. Whatever words he searched for, they were evading him.

So instead, he said nothing, and simply rested his head on hers.

 _"…The way you changed my life, no no they can't take that away from me…"_

Even though the music was lively and the crowd around them enthusiastically cheered their friends on as they sang, Marinette and Adrien felt as if they were in their own little bubble, separate from it all. In that moment, they simply felt safe in their own company.

Marinette's closeness and the methodic movement of her touch was incredibly comforting. And somehow deeply familiar. Somehow, it felt so _right_ , as if they had sat like this a hundred times before. With every line her fingers made, the remainder of his frustration washed further and further away, until all he was left with was a clear, content, peaceful mind.

Adrien felt that he could sit there happily with her forever.

 _"…No they can't take that away from me!"_

All too soon, it seemed, Alya and Nino finished their song. The place was suddenly filled with an enthusiastic ovation. Many people had recognized Nino as DJ-Nine, despite how different the song was from his usual music style, and were shouting their adoration.

When Marinette broke away from Adrien to join in the crowd's cheers, Adrien wanted nothing more than to pull her back to his embrace. But that felt selfish. And he knew that their friends would give them no end of grief if they found them cuddling so close, so he followed her lead and began applauding as well.

"You guys were amazing!" Marinette cried as the other two found their table once again. "That was completely fantastic, oh my gosh!"

"Thank you!" Alya said, laughing giddily from the rush of stage adrenaline. "That was so much fun, you guys _gotta_ get up there and try it!"

"You guys really were fantastic," Adrien chimed in. "How did you do that without practicing?"

"Nino's played around with that song a few times when he was warming up," Alya explained, settling into her seat and reaching for her drink. "And that was on the list of numbers the band would play live, so it was pretty easy when we all know it well enough."

"So, you guys talk about anything interesting while we were gone?" Nino asked them, and Adrien noticed a slight twinkle in his eye as he said this.

Marinette exchanged a quick, knowing glance with Adrien before smiling and saying, "Nah, not really."

"We were pretty much just cheering you guys on," Adrien said with a grin, agreeing mutually with her to just leave what they'd discussed alone. There was no need to spoil a perfectly good night.

And what a good night it really turned out to be.

The crowd was luckily small enough that there were plenty of opportunities for every party of people to take turns on the mic. The bartender kept the drinks coming, and it wasn't long before Adrien's mind was filled with a pleasant buzz, all the confidence that usually came with his mask now coursing through him easily. They all began befriending people from other tables to joining up for a number of songs.

The longer the evening went on, the sillier the performances became. Even the most dramatic of numbers were done with such over-the-top passion that the place was nearly always ringing with warm laughter.

At one point, Adrien and Nino danced and sang a stirring rendition of 'Guy Love' that had the crowd cheering and Marinette and Alya practically falling out of their chairs as they wiped tears of mirth from their eyes.

At another point, the four of them teamed up with three people from another table and belted 'Bohemian Rhapsody' with amazing gusto. Half way through that number, the entire bar joined in, making it one of the most epic songs of the night.

Marinette seemed to prefer watching other people perform, but Adrien still loved the joy that rolled off her the few times she went up and sang. Alya was easily the biggest star of the show, but similarly to how he'd watched her gain confidence on the catwalk the night before, Marinette quickly became more comfortable behind the mic as the evening progressed. She had a beautiful, silvery voice that rang strong with a joyful enthusiasm, and he knew he would never tire of it.

Finally, towards the end of the evening, Alya managed to convince Marinette to sing one duet with her before they left. After a quick whispered conversation, Marinette nodded in excitement to whatever Alya had suggested, and they hurried up to the stage.

Adrien and Nino exchanged an enthused look as their girls set up the song's back-track and moved to center stage as the little beads on the screen ticked the time down and signaled the song's start.

 _"If you could take my pulse right now, it would feel just like a sledgehammer!"_

The place burst into another round of cheers as the girls broke out in pitch perfect harmony, nailing the intro with identical wide smiles on their faces.

 _"…I don't admit it, I play it cool…"_ Alya soloed, grinning widely as the crowed hollered their approval.

"WOOHOO! That's my babe!" Nino cheered, "Get it, Alya!"

Adrien whooped along with his friend and the rest of the crowd as Marinette stepped forward with her mic and began the next verse.

 _"…I feel the fever, and I won't lie, I break a sweat. My body's telling all the secrets I ain't told you yet!…"_

As they harmonized on the chorus, she and Alya danced to the beat, and Adrien watched happily as Marinette positively beamed in the spotlights, waving her free arm in the air above her and swaying her hips smoothly to and fro.

Just then, Nino leaned over to him and said into his ear, "So, when are you gonna finally ask Mar-bear out?"

Adrien jumped and whipped around to face his friend, stunned.

"W-what are you talking about?" he demanded, staring incredulously, but Nino just laughed and rolled his eyes, settling back into their booth.

"C'mon dude, are you serious? You've been spending nearly every moment of your free time with her for the past couple weeks. Even when you're _not_ with her, I see you texting her non-stop," Nino said with a grin, gesturing up to the girls on the stage, "I saw you guys being all cozy when Alya and I were doing that first song. You've been as close to her as possible tonight, and you've barely taken your eyes off her."

Adrien reflexively reached his hand up to scratch the back of his neck, looking sheepishly from the stage to Nino and back again. He couldn't exactly deny that any of this.

 _"…You've taken over the beat of my body, you just don't let up!..."_

"We're not like that, man. I mean… She and I… Marinette and I are just friends, ya know?" he tried to defend himself.

But even as he said this, his heart clenched, and all at once he hated the way those words tasted in his mouth.

"Adrien," said Nino, a serious note in his voice now, "I know you. I've seen the way you've been around other girls, and _not once_ have you been this serious about someone. I _know_ you have feelings for her! And frankly, Alya and I are still shocked that nothing has happened between the two of you yet. I mean we've been rooting for you guys since, what, early high school?"

"There's nothing going on between us, Nino," Adrien sighed.

Nino regarded him closely for a few moments before shrugging and turning back to the stage.

"Ok, whatever you say dude."

 _"…So close together. So far apart…"_

Adrien looked up at the stage as well, watching the glow of the lights reflecting off of Marinette's dark, cascading hair as she laughed and twirled around. The music still played loudly, but he could hardly hear it anymore. His mind was a tangled mess as he thought through Nino's words over and over again. He shook his head, trying futilely to clear it.

They were friends. Just friends. _Friends_.

But no…

That word may have applied before, but now…? Now, he realized, he wanted to be more than that. _Much_ more.

Something had changed in that moment they had shared together in the booth. Or… maybe he was just now aware of something that had been changing all along? Replaying the last couple weeks in his mind's eye, he thought through all of their time spent together, all of the conversations that they had, all the vulnerabilities and victories they had shared.

Marinette. Strong, brave, beautiful Marinette. This girl was kind, she was creative, and funny. She was bold, despite her insecurities. She was selfless and sincere. She cared deeply about others, and stood up for them.

And she cared about him, too. She saw past all the defenses he put up. She saw him for who he was.

And now, he wanted to say there was a closeness, a deeper level of affection between them than there had ever been before. As he watched her, he became aware of some strange force that made him want nothing more than to draw near to her and never leave her side.

Suddenly, Adrien felt entirely thunderstruck as he realized what he'd been unable to say to her earlier. He thought he'd wanted to _thank her_ somehow, but that wasn't quite right… The truth now flashed through his mind and rooted him to the spot.

 _'I love you.'_

There. That was it. Those were the words that had been just beyond his reach.

This girl… Marinette… he _loved_ her.

Shock radiated through him as those words rang clear in his head. There was no way… It was too soon! They'd only been spending time together over the last couple weeks! But no, that wasn't right either… They'd known each other for years, been friends for _years_ … The months spent apart never erased that. And their time together now only solidified something that had been there for so long.

 _"…The truth is out, no stopping now, I'm getting closer…"_

Adrien's mind began racing. This sudden comprehension opened up a floodgate of thoughts as everything he'd been conflicted with since that first night they'd made dinner started to smooth out.

He _loved_ her. He loved talking to her, loved spending every moment possible with her, loved supporting her dreams and endeavors. And she supported him, he realized. She always had. She was one of his very first true friends. She had always been there.

And even now, it was her who had seen past his walls. Marinette saw through him in a way no one else had before.

Only Ladybug had ever come close to that kind of intimate perception, knowing the greatest facets of him better and deeper than anyone else before. But there had still always been that separation, that line they could never cross.

With Marinette, there were no masks to come between them. She had known exactly what was on his mind, both that night at his place, and again earlier that evening. He couldn't hide things from her, and now he didn't _want_ to. He trusted her now just as much as his Lady. He wanted to tell her _everything_.

Adrien let out a laugh, feeling giddy. Despite the mess of everything flooding his mind, there was one thought that rang clear; he loved Marinette, and though he didn't know if she felt the same, there was no going back for him now.

 _"…If you take my pulse right now, it would feel just like a sledgehammer!"_

Marinette and Alya finished the song to receive a standing ovation.

Adrien and Nino whooped and hollered enthusiastically as the girls made their way back to them, laughing and breathing hard from the stage adrenaline.

"Beautiful as ever, babe!" Nino said, pulling Alya in to give her a quick kiss.

"Thanks, love," she said, giggling as she ducked under the table to grab her purse.

Adrien beamed down at Marinette as she let out a shaky laugh, reaching her hands up to cover her bright red cheeks.

"Ooh that was so much fun!" she said. "I can't believe I did that!"

"You were stunning," Adrien told her, grinning hugely,

Marinette snickered and rolled her eyes.

"Hardly, but thank you," she said, shaking her head and high-fiving a couple people who passed by from a nearby table, before making her way into the booth to grab her own belongings.

"Are you kidding? You sounded _incredible_ up there!" he replied earnestly. "Don't sell yourself so short!"

"But I _am_ short, there's no denying it!" she said, and he laughed, reaching out to help her as she climbed back out around the table.

Her hand felt soft and warm in his, and he was very aware of the tingling that filled his fingers when they let go.

The four of them left the karaoke bar in high spirits, with several people shouting farewells to DJ-Nine as the doors swung closed behind them. It had gotten pretty late by now, and the guys decided mutually to accompany Alya and Marinette back to their place to see that they got there safe. They were all pleasantly buzzed from both the night's drinks and the wondrous atmosphere of the bar, and it was a short but happy train ride and walk, filled with a little more singing and frivolity.

When they arrived at the front double doors of the apartment building, Nino and Alya moved off to the side a little and embraced to say their goodbyes.

Adrien looked down at Marinette, who grinned up at him, reaching a hand to her rosy cheek to brush a lock of dark hair behind her ear. And for the dozenth time that night, the desire to hold her welled up inside him.

But this time he didn't fight it.

As Marinette opened her mouth to say something, he reached one arm out to her with a smile, rested his hand on her shoulder and pulled her close to him, wrapping her up in a tight but gentle embrace. She gave a small squeak of surprise, but after a moment, she wrapped her arms around his waist in turn, and his heart felt fit to burst. She lay her head against his chest as she had done the night before, and he rested his cheek on top of her soft hair, inhaling her sweet scent with great pleasure.

Seeing Nino and Alya separate and look over at them, he reluctantly let go of Marinette. She was blushing furiously. Now that he knew exactly how he felt about her, the sight made him ridiculously happy, and he had to fight the chuckle he felt building in his throat.

"You'll do great tomorrow," he said, beaming down at her.

She smiled and looked down at her hands.

"Well, we'll see," she said.

"C'mon girl!" Alya called to her, already at the top of the steps and holding the door open, waiting.

Marinette glanced up at her, the back at Adrien, shooting him a grin as she climbed up as well.

"I guess I'll see you there, then?" she asked him, and he nodded enthusiastically.

"Yeah, for sure!" Nino chimed in, smirking between the two of them.

Marinette paused at the door to wave to them before disappearing inside.

"Sleep well, Mar," Adrien called after her as the door closed, and with that, the two of them headed off down the street. "You were right," he sighed as they walked.

Nino glanced at him.

"I usually am, but which time are you referring to, specifically?"

Adrien snickered, elbowing his friend in the side.

"You were right about Marinette. I… I like her. I like her _a lot."_

Realizing what Adrien was talking about, Nino's eyes grew wide with excitement, and a grin split across his face.

"Dude! Yes! That's awesome!" He flung his arm around Adrien's neck and gently bumped his fist against his chest in a supportive fashion. "So what does that mean for you?"

A grin slowly began to pull at the corners of Adrien's mouth as well, and he suddenly felt the giddiness from before return.

"It means I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna ask her." His heart racing, he looked up at the sky and let out a laugh. "Tomorrow, after the Gala, I'm gonna ask Marinette to go out with me."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Marinette happily hummed the tune to one of the songs they had performed earlier that evening as she and Alya made their way up the flights of stairs leading to the floor of their apartment. It was nearing one in the morning, and both of them were feeling pleasantly sleepy.

Alya unlocked the door to their place, turned on the light and stretched her arms high above her head as Marinette plunked her purse onto the kitchen counter, yawning loudly.

"Oh, what a night!" she sighed happily, traipsing over to the sink and filling a large glass of water to help wash the evening's drinks out of her system. "We really need to do stuff like that more often."

Alya murmured her agreement as she flipped the switch to turn on the strands of twinkle lights that were draped around the living room.

"Well maybe we could if your studio didn't give you such crazy huge assignments all the time," she said, shooting Marinette a smirk over her shoulder.

"Ugh, tell me about it," Marinette replied, rolling her eyes and throwing her head back to take a few large gulps from her glass.

"So, Adrien seems to be pretty into you, yeah?"

Marinette choked, releasing a spray of droplets over the counter. Coughing and dribbling water down her front, she whipped around to face Alya, who was watching her with raised eyebrows.

"W-what do you– I don– Wait, _what!?"_ Marinette sputtered, staring at her incredulously. "What the hell are you talking about!?"

"Seriously?" Alya said, cocking her hip to one side. "Girl, that man is _head over heels_ for you! Nino and I totally saw you two together when we were up doing that first set, so don't even think about denying it."

Marinette crossed her arms over her chest, in an almost protective way, as she frowned.

"He was going through some stuff with his father today," she said, and there was more of an edge in her voice than even she expected. "We were just talking about it. I was trying to be a good friend and be there for him."

"Ok but that doesn't deny the fact that _he_ was still completely enchanted with you the entire night."

"He wasn't," Marinette said, turning her head away from Alya's piercing gaze.

"He _was,_ " Alya shot back. "And you _know_ it! Mar, I don't know why you're fighting this so much–"

"It doesn't matter," Marinette said in a small voice. "Even if you're right about him, it doesn't matter because I don't _want_ anything to happen between us."

She hated saying this. Part of her knew full well that it was a lie, but what was she supposed to do? She _knew_ what happened when she got intimately close with someone and still had to keep her walls up. There was no getting around it.

Alya looked her over closely for a few moments before sighing and shaking her head.

"Mar, we _talked_ about this," her voice was earnest as she walked up to lean on the counter across from Marinette. "Don't tell me you're letting your fears dictate you with your guys' relationship?"

Marinette tightened her arms around her to hide how her hands had started to shake, still averting her eyes.

"You like him, don't you?" Alya asked.

"I… I guess I do, bu–"

"Then what's the problem, Mar?"

"It's just… It's complicated."

" _What's_ so damn complicated?"

"I… I don't know, it just _is!"_

"But it shouldn't _have_ to be!" Alya pushed. "He really, _really_ likes you! And you like him! So…?"

"So I don't want to go through all of this just to end up losing him!" Marinette snapped, turning around to face Alya, unable to keep the desperation out of her voice. "I… I really like him. I do. You know I always have… But I… I don't want to mess everything up again, and… and end up losing him… too."

Alya stared at her with wide eyes, and Marinette saw that she truly felt sympathy for her.

"Marinette, I know you were hurt," Alya said in slow, deliberate voice. "But you shouldn't keep running forever. It does nothing to help, and ultimately it only hurts _you_ the most. If this was a matter of you not liking him, that would be different, and I wouldn't say another word about it. But the fact is, you _do_. Nino and I… we've watched you two together for so long, and you just _fit_. I hate seeing you get so wrapped up in what happened before that you refuse to even let yourself be happy."

"I'm fine, Alya."

"Sure," Alya replied with a nod. "But being fine isn't the same as being happy."

Marinette shrugged.

"But it's better than hurting."

Alya walked around the counter and pulled her into a gentle hug, rubbing her back comfortingly.

"Sometimes it's worth the risk," she said, releasing her friend.

With one last encouraging smile, Alya turned and headed off to her room.

Marinette gathered her purse up again, switched off the main lights and made her way through the apartment to her own bedroom and closed the door behind her. She let out a dejected sigh. The light and positive mood that had filled her earlier that evening had subsided.

"Marinette?" Tikki floated out of Marinette's bag, regarding her closely as she walked over to look out her window. "Are you ok?"

"Mmm… not really," she sighed, giving the Kwami a small, sad smile. "But I don't think I really know how to talk about it right now. Can we just… go for a run?"

Tikki flew up to her girl and nuzzled her cheek affectionately.

"Whatever you need to do."

Moments later, Ladybug was racing along the rooftops of Paris, her feet pounding as she flew from one building to the next. She didn't know where she was going, and she didn't care. She just needed to _move_. To feel the wind rushing past her, feel the burn in her lungs, to just go, go, _go_.

Swinging her yo-yo ahead of her, she soared through the air. Her eyes pricked as a few hot tears escaped down her mask. But she ignored them, and just moved faster. Occasionally, she would sharply change directions on a whim, never caring much about if she were to get lost; the shining lights of la Tour Eiffel were her constant beacon.

After some time, she began to circle back around to familiar territory, partially wishing for an Akuma attack just for the sake of not having to go home just yet. Alighting onto the steep roof of what she presumed to be an apartment building, she decelerated down to a walk, her chest heaving as she worked to catch her breath. The powers that came with being Ladybug slowed the rate at which she became physically fatigued, so whenever she was able to push herself closer to her limits, it was strangely satisfying.

Hopping from one roof slate to the next, she looked around and realized she sort of recognized the surrounding buildings. Gazing ahead of her, she saw Adrien and Nino's apartment just a block away. She nearly turned to head off in a different direction, but her feet kept her moving forward until she was walking on the roof across the street from them.

Nino's bedroom light was still on, though the curtains were closed so she couldn't see him. Adrien's light was on as well, and though part of her tried to resist, she found herself peering curiously into his room.

Much like the living room, his walls were decorated with a wide array of photographs. She could just make out a large desk that sat in the corner. Three computer monitors lit up the many stacks of papers and folders with the colorful swirls of their screensavers. An iron-framed bed stood against the middle of the one of the walls, taking up much of the floor space.

And on that bed sat Adrien himself, leaning into his pillows as he poured over a book in his hands. He was wearing a pair of black sweats, though no shirt; Ladybug felt a blush creep onto her cheeks as she took in the way the lean, rippling muscles of his arms, shoulders, and torso were thrown into notable contrast from the lamp beside him.

At that moment, as if sensing her eyes watching him in the night, Adrien looked up and turned his head to face out the window.

Ladybug quickly leapt down the other side of the building she was on. Throwing her yo-yo to catch on the ledges of another high roof ahead of her, she swung further down the street. Underneath her mask, her face felt a little warmer now, but whether he'd seen her or not, she decided it didn't really matter. It was perfectly normal for a superhero to be watching over the city at nearly two in the morning, right?

"Isn't it a little late to be running a patrol, M'lady?"

Ladybug looked around to find Chat Noir making his way along the rooftop across the street, shooting her his familiar cat-ish grin. She allowed herself a small smile.

"Justice never sleeps, right?" she called back to him, watching him twirl his staff out and use it to launch himself over to her. She kept moving, breaking into a smooth jog as he fell into step easily next to her.

They didn't say anything more, choosing to just make their way through the city in silence, enjoying each other's company.

His familiar presence was hugely comforting to Ladybug. In all their years of saving Paris, he had always been there for her. He was her one constant. No matter how crazy things in life got, she felt extremely grateful that she could always count on her Chat Noir to be there by her side.

They alighted onto the top of l'Arc de Triomphe, and Ladybug paused to look out across the city scape. By now, the sounds of Paris' night life had died down, and though there was still the distant noise of cars on some of the busier streets, there was a comforting stillness that filled the air around them.

Chat Noir came and stood quietly beside her.

"I missed this," she said, breaking their silence. "I'm sorry I've been so absent from patrols lately, Chat."

"That's fine, Bug, don't worry about it," he smiled gently at her. "Life happens, it's ok to be busy sometimes."

"Still, I'm sorry that I wasn't around very much."

With a small sigh, Ladybug moved to sit down and rest her chin in her hands.

"Got a lot on your mind tonight?" Chat asked, settling down beside her.

"You could say that," she said, shrugging.

"Want to talk about it?"

Ladybug regarded him thoughtfully for a moment.

His bright green eyes gazed back at her, unwavering. Without another word, he grinned and turned his whole body to face her, sitting crossed-legged with his hands held flat above his knees, palms facing upwards. He looked at her expectantly.

She blinked in surprise before returning his smile and moving to mirror his position, placing her own hands flat on top of his for the game they had played many times before when they needed to just vent about something.

They sat completely still for a brief moment before he flicked his hands up to try and slap the top of hers.

She reacted instantly, pulling her arms back before he could succeed. Repositioning her hands above his, they repeated the process again and again and again, until finally he caught her on her fingers. She let out a small chuckle, bringing her hands forward again, this time facing her own palms up as he laid his hands on top of hers to begin the next round.

"Chat, have you ever dated anyone?" she asked finally, the need to just get all her turmoil off her chest driving her to breach the topic. She knew it was sort of a personal question, but if anyone could fully appreciate the complication of her situation, it was Chat. She was feeling a little desperate for advice, and just needed to try.

He looked back at her thoughtfully before shaking his head and grinning.

"I've gone on dates with a few girls, but not exclusively, no."

She tapped her palms against his slightly, amused at how he twitched his own hands upwards reactively before relaxing them again.

"So there's never been anyone you got into a serious relationship with?" she prompted.

"Well, not so much before now," he shrugged. Her curious look led him to continue, a warm smile painting his face. "There _is_ one girl now that I really, really like. I'm planning on asking her out soon, actually."

There was such a tenderness in his voice as he spoke that even she felt a little warm glow fill her chest.

"Are you…" she began before biting her lip, unsure of how to phrase her question. "Is she different from other girls you've dated then?"

"Very," he said happily. "She's… well, she's much more genuine than them. She's kind, she's smart, she's creative… She's exceptional through and through. Actually, she reminds me in many ways of you, and since you're one of my closest friends, I guess that's a pretty good place to start. You'd like her a lot, I think."

Ladybug smiled at this, flattered that he thought she was a worthy comparison.

"She was my friend first and foremost," he continued. "But the more time I've spent with her lately, the closer we've become. I trust her completely."

Ladybug wasn't entirely sure why, but her heart clenched a little at his words.

"Then do you think you will… I mean… Do you think you would ever tell her about… you know, all this?" She half gestured with her elbow to them both, indicating their alter-ego outfits, before repositioning her hands under his.

"Well…" he replied ponderingly, dodging a swipe from her hands. "I suppose… eventually, if we reach a point in our relationship when the time is right, then yes. I will tell her the truth."

Ladybug tapped her foot underneath her with a nervous energy.

"How do you know, though? How can you know if she's a good person to tell? And how can you risk telling her, even if she is? Wouldn't that be putting her in danger?"

Chat Noir pouted his lower lip out in thought, before nodding slowly.

"Because I trust her," he said simply.

Ladybug frowned at him, so he elaborated.

"We've been using our Miraculouses to save Paris for… what, several years now? We've kept Hawkmoth at bay for this long, and we haven't told anyone of our identities, not even each other. Maybe it is time that we step out a little. I mean, there's always going to be a lot of work to put in when it comes to any intimate relationship. But… that's the truth for love, isn't it? You _need_ to work for it, you _need_ to fight for it. It's not supposed to be easy for anyone, really. If there's anything I've learned over the years, it's that… when you are blessed to have really good people in your life, who you hold dear, they are worth all the effort it takes to keep them close. It always ends up being harder to lose them, and be left wondering what might be different, or what you could have done to keep them near."

"But how do you _know_?" she exclaimed, frustration pulsing through her now. "How do you know when you can trust someone enough to tell them something like _this_? How do you know that it's not going to place you or them in terrible danger? How do you know they won't get hurt? How do you know you won't lose them? How do you _know_ it'll all be ok?"

Chat peered more closely at her now, a crease forming between his eyebrows, and she was suddenly embarrassed by the anguish in her own voice. She quickly turned her eyes away from him, feeling tears well up in them and not wanting him to see.

He rested his hands fully on hers now, wrapping them up in a comforting hold and rubbing his thumb methodically on the inside of her wrist.

"You don't," he said simply. "You can't know what's going to happen. Sometimes you just need to have faith, to trust them. Sometimes, when it's someone you really truly love, maybe it's just worth the risk."

Ladybug stiffened a little, hearing him echo Alya's words from earlier. Pulling her hands gently from his grasp, she turned to let her legs hang off the monument's ledge once again.

He did the same, refraining from speaking to let her ponder his words.

 _'Maybe Chat is right,'_ she thought to herself as they sat together in silence. _'Maybe I should take the risk with Adrien. I won't know for sure if he's the one unless I try, right? Maybe… just maybe, everything will be ok.'_

She let out a sigh of content, and leaned against his side, feeling a little more at ease and entirely thankful for a partner and a friend like Chat Noir.

* * *

Later that night, after saying their goodbyes and returning home, Marinette lay asleep in her bed. Her dreams were relatively calm and disconnected at first, but then something changed.

 _She found herself sitting on the high ledge of a building, looking out across the city. The light was unnaturally bright, and she couldn't make out anything very clearly. Everything was covered in a strange, ever fluctuating shine._

 _Looking to her left, she found Chat Noir was sitting beside her, grinning._

 _"See?" he said. His voice was oddly detached and echoed in the space around her. "I told you it was worth the risk."_

 _She frowned at him in confusion before turning to see Adrien sitting on her other side. Her hands reached up to her face in a panic, discovering that though she was dressed as Ladybug, there was no mask to hide her identity._

 _"Thank you for trusting me," she heard Adrien say in the same echoing voice as Chat's. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."_

 _He leaned towards her, reaching up to gently cup her cheek with his soft hand, and pulling her towards him._

 _But as she fell into his embrace, her vision began to flicker as the bright light that surrounded them blinked on and off. Pulling away from Adrien, she looked up and saw a huge, dark cloud looming overhead._

 _But it wasn't a normal cloud._

 _Suddenly, thousands of dark butterflies plunged out of the sky towards them, and before she could even react, Adrien was engulfed. The sheer force of the Akumas billowing around him pushed him out of her reach and off the ledge._

 _"No!" she cried, but no sound came out._

 _She tried to see through the undulating mass of wings, but when she blinked, her vision suddenly changed. She was kneeling in a heap of rubble. Flecks of ash fell from the sky like snow, and Adrien's body lay on the ground before her._

 _His arms, torso and face were streaked with deep, gruesome gashes, and a dark pool of red was growing out on the ground around him. His green eyes were wide and staring, all the light and joy she knew of them was gone, and a deep horror mounted inside of her._

 _"This is what comes from taking those risks," a deep, eerily familiar voice said, and looking up she saw that the swarm of dark butterflies had taken the shape of a tall man. "This is what comes from loving someone. You lose them."_

 _"No!" she gasped. "Please, I'm sorry!"_

 _She tried to scream, but her words were strangled and raspy._

 _"I'm sorry, I'm sorry,_ _I'm so sorry!_ _No! Please! NO!"_

Marinette sat bolt upright, her hands balled into fists that clutched at her sheets. Gasping, her whole body shook with violent tremors. Tears were already pouring fast and hot down her face and dripping onto her chest to stain her shirt.

Tikki floated up onto her shoulder, saying nothing, but hugging the side of her girl's neck to try and comfort her.

Marinette covered her face with her hands and allowed the sobs to flow freely. Her throat felt raw from her scream.

"I– I couldn't protect h– him, Tikki," she choked out finally. "I– I couldn't save him. It's all m– my fault. He got h– hurt and it's my fault. It's all my fault."

"Shhh shh it was just a nightmare," Tikki said softly. "It wasn't real, Marinette. He's ok, everything is ok."

Marinette shook her head.

"But it's n– not! Tikki I can't let him know about me! He would be in so much danger, he could get hurt so easily!"

Marinette laid back down onto her pillows, the tears still spilling silently down her face.

Tikki continued to comfort her in any way she could think of until her charge at least fell back asleep.

Looking at Marinette's tear stained face, Tikki's heart ached.

 _'_ _That's it,'_ she decided. _'She doesn't need to be going through all this pain. The next opportunity I get, I'm talking to Plagg. It's far past time that we tell these kids the truth about everything.'_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Marinette regarded her reflection closely in the mirror she had propped against the sofa, carefully smudging a dark eyeliner across her lids. She, Meesh, and Alya all sat cozy and warm in the girls' living room. The floor was strewn with an assortment of items; various makeup compacts, hair products, bobby pins, and nail polishes caused the place to resemble a minefield, and forced them to be careful about where they stepped. Marinette and Alya had brought their mirrors in from their rooms, and the three of them had spent a good amount of time preparing for the evening's Gala.

When Meesh had arrived earlier that afternoon, Marinette had been in a state of frustration, lining up dress after dress on her bed as she huffed about having no clue what to wear. Normally, for an event such as this, she would've given more thought to her attire in the days leading up to it, but that hadn't really been a priority with so many other things going on.

The fact that she had woken up exhausted, with her stomach in nervous knots from her night terrors hadn't helped anything either. She had thus far successfully concealed her stress from the other two, but still.

Alya had saved the day by finding a box at the bottom of Marinette's closet filled with dresses she herself had made for school. Adding them to the ones on her bed, they had unanimously chosen one she had designed a year earlier; the prompt had been to take a garment typical of an older time and culture, and recreate it to fit modern fashion. She had gone with the Grecian toga, and the results had been fabulous.

Sabine had dropped off Marinette's collection earlier that morning, insisting that Marinette not worry herself about going out of her way to pick them up. She had also brought the three of them a small box of pastries, which they had been nibbling through as they got ready.

Finishing twisting her hair up into a knot at the top of her head, Marinette went to look in the full length mirror propped against the wall, turning this way and that for the full effect. The dress they had chosen was long, black, and entirely elegant. From the front, it looked simple enough, with a high neckline, loose fitting around the torso before it was cinched tighter at her waist. The skirt ran down to the floor, with a slit on the left side that ran nearly up to her hip, allowing a flash of leg as she walked.

And when she turned around, the fabric draped low off her shoulders, revealing her smooth, pale skin all the way down to the small of her back. Usually, she was one to go for more modest outfits, but the dress had received amazing critiques when she'd created it, and secretly she had wanted a good opportunity to wear it ever since.

A delicate gold chain hung long from her neck down between her shoulder blades, matching the bangles on her wrist, as well as the gold clutch she was planning on taking with her. Though, of course no one would know that it was to hide a tiny red Kwami, rather than just her phone and wallet.

"Oh, _dios mio!"_ Meesh exclaimed in the middle of strapping up her six inch heels. "Marinette you are such a _babe_!"

Marinette chuckled, pleased that she could at least let herself feel lovely, despite her churning insides.

Meesh, who was wearing a forest green skater dress with long, black leather sleeves, came and stood beside her to check her own reflection. Her smooth, dark Mohawk was teased into a fuller crown at the top of her head before becoming an intricate, long braid down her back.

"Ok, you two are totally killing it," Alya said as she puckered to apply lipstick, her own violet cocktail dress still hanging from her bedroom door.

"Thanks," Marinette said, walking over to the couch to check she had everything she needed in her clutch. And also that Tikki had a satisfactory stash of cookies for the evening. Tikki had been in a strangely tense mood all day as well, but when Marinette tried to question her, she waved it off as nothing, so Marinette had dropped the matter.

"Have you heard from Nino yet?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Yeah, he's going to be here in like 45 minutes with Adrien, and then we'll head on over," Alya replied, taking a bite of one of the pastries.

Marinette's chest tightened.

' _It's just another evening,'_ she thought furiously to herself. _'Nothing has changed between you two. It's just going to be another regular evening seeing him.'_

She was angry that ever since that nightmare, any time she'd thought of Adrien, a wave of anxiety would hit. This was _not_ the way things were supposed to be. They were just friends. _Friends_.

"I'll see you guys soon!" Alya called to them as Marinette and Meesh filed out the door, weighed down by the garment bags holding their precious work.

Marinette sighed as they got outside and made their way to the train station a couple blocks away. The sky hung low with dark rolling clouds, and the air was unnaturally still.

 _'The calm before the storm,'_ she thought idly.

A cold front was to be making its way across the city that evening, chasing away the light springtime weather they had been enjoying lately.

She pulled her coat tighter around herself, trying to ward away the impending tempest.

The two of them arrived at the venue a good hour before all the other guests were to arrive. The Gala was being housed in a ballroom of L'Hotel du Collectionneur, one of the more highly esteemed places of hospitality in the city.

As they came to the ballroom, the sight before them took Marinette's breath away. It was filled with a glowing, golden light from the lamps and delicate candles that were positioned everywhere. Dozens of round, white linen tables with polished ornate china and brilliant lily centerpieces surrounded a high catwalk that was set up at the center of the far wall. White floor-to-ceiling curtains and panels hid the backstage area, which had doors leading to another room set aside for runway preparations.

Tall glass doors along another wall led out to a large courtyard at the center of the hotel. Stone paths were lit with small lanterns, winding their way between stunning gardens and sparkling fountains. Tall space heaters were strategically placed to try and fight against the chill that filled the air.

A couple dozen or so hotel employees, caterers, and event planners were scattered here and there, busy checking all the final touches.

As the girls made their way through the room – carefully avoiding knocking anything over with the garment bags – Marinette could smell something delicious wafting from a nearby kitchen, where the evening's food was likely being prepped.

Climbing the stairs on the side of the runway and moving behind the panels to go backstage, they were met with a flurry of commotion. The long room had been divided into sections by a number of thick, blue curtains. Many of their fellow classmates had already arrived and gotten their models through the styling process early. Hair and makeup teams were already hard at work. One student seemed to be near an emotional breakdown because a model had tried to take a sip of coffee while wearing his dress, and had dribbled a bit down the front.

Tension was running high, and though Marinette felt calm enough about her own work, she found her stress mounting higher still.

She and Meesh went to a couple of sections in one of the clearer corners, finding most of their own models waiting for them. They had been fortunate enough to have girls from an adjoining academy wearing their pieces, and there were enough people participating that no one had to worry about switching into clothes from multiple collections.

Without further delay, they began consulting with the hair and makeup teams, and the preparations for their own collections were under way. Marinette's was slotted to walk second to last, just ahead of Meesh's. They had managed to utilize the help of the many stylists before other students who were just arriving, but there was still not a moment to lose.

While most of her models were being worked on, Marinette carefully took each of her dresses out of their bags to hang on one of the corner racks. Just then, she spotted Mathis in a section of the room a good thirty feet away.

He caught her eye and sneered at her.

Remembering everything Chat Noir had told her about the attack in her studio, anger stirred in the pit of her stomach, momentarily blocking out the knots of stress. She held his gaze with a contemptuous look of her own, until he finally turned away, distracted by one of his models asking for assistance.

Letting out a sigh, Marinette turned to see a few of her girls making their way back, and set to work with getting her dresses ready on them. She was pleased to find most of her dresses were fitting well enough. Only a few minor alterations needed to be done. She set herself to work, slowly losing track of the time as she focused on perfecting every tiny detail, tuning out the chatter around her.

"Holy crap, Mar-bear!" she heard a familiar voice exclaim from behind her, startling her from her last-minute stitches. Turning her head, she saw that Alya and Nino had found their way backstage and were beaming at her where she kneeled on the floor.

"You've really outdone yourself on these ones!" said Nino.

Marinette grinned up at them.

"Thanks! It's been really–" her words were lost to her when she spotted Adrien trailing behind them, smiling affectionately down at her.

"Hi," he said.

And suddenly, Marinette felt a wave of calm come over her. Since when did he have this the effect on her? Did it _really_ only take hearing his voice to make everything feel right again? She wanted to be angry with herself for the realization, but found that she was too glad that he was there to really muster any more negativity.

"Hi," she said, glad that for once, her voice wasn't too breathy and didn't reveal anything of her inner turmoil.

She finished tying the thread, stood up to put her supplies on the chair next to her, and turned back around to face them fully.

Adrien's cheeks were suddenly bright red, and for a split second she was confused before suddenly remembering her _very_ backless dress.

Oh.

 _Oh._

She felt her own cheeks going hot, especially when she caught Alya and Nino smirking at the pair of them. Refusing to give them the reaction they were waiting for, she took a deep, calming breath, and smiled.

"Did you guys just get here then?" she asked innocently.

"Yeah," Nino nodded, "It's already pretty busy out there in the main room. Lots of fancy people."

He had traded his usual hoodie for a suit jacket and tie, though he kept his perfectly frayed jeans and bright purple high-tops.

Alya had donned her violet dress, and her hair had been straightened to fall long down her back.

Marinette found their subtle color coordination adorable.

Adrien, though, looked more suave and polished than she had any memory of seeing him be in person. He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal suit, with brown leather wingtips and a blue, china-patterned tie tucked neatly under a brown vest. The lean muscles of his arms she had most certainly _not_ been admiring the night before were just barely discernable through the jacket's sleeves, and his hair had been swept up in a carefully tousled way.

He was positively dashing.

 _'Why must he be so attractive?!'_ her mind screamed before realizing she probably had absolutely no room to talk, wearing what she was.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her in a low voice, coming to stand a bit closer to her as Alya and Nino looked around at the dresses from both her collection and Meesh's.

"A-alright for the moment, I guess?" she said, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as if to dispel a chill, though in that moment she was feeling anything but cold. "I'm just ready for this night to be over."

She kneeled back down to the ground, kicking her discarded high heels out of the way so as to better maneuver another model into position to make a small hem adjustment.

"You don't want to show your collection?" Adrien kneeled beside her to continue their conversation.

"No, I do!" she replied quickly. "It's just… I don't know. Tonight just feels like a lot of pressure… I feel like something is about to go wrong any minute now."

 _'Nothing is going to happen,'_ she reminded herself firmly. _'We are just friends, everything will be fine. You aren't going to lose him.'_

"Everything will be fine," his comforting voice echoed her own thoughts. "Nothing bad is going to happen, you know. The show is going to be amazing, and we are all going to enjoy a wonderful night. _Even_ in spite of being forced to act too fancy for our own good in attempts to impress all those rich, high society snobs."

Marinette snorted at this.

"You're right, I mean Paris gets attacked by supervillains all the time, so something like this should be a piece of cake, right?"

"Honestly, after spending my whole life going to events with people like that, I think I'd rather take the supervillains."

"Oh I'd _love_ to see _you_ up against one of those monsters."

"Please, Chat Noir has _nothing_ on me," he said with a smirk. "I could take those baddies down anytime!"

Marinette rolled her eyes and giggled.

Adrien watched happily, clearly pleased that he could make her laugh.

They didn't notice that everyone in the nearby vicinity was smiling down at the two of them. Alya and Nino were both grinning smugly at their friends, a look which they shared with Meesh, who was peering over from her work.

But as Marinette turned back to finish, she saw a familiar, tiny, red head peeking _very_ unreservedly out of her bag.

"Oh my GOSH!" Marinette cried in surprise, lunging forward and clamping her hands over the clutch. She felt a small pang of guilt at how she had just shoved Tikki so unceremoniously out of sight, but _why_ was she risking being seen like that?!

"Um… you ok?" Adrien asked, peeing curiously over her shoulder. Marinette whipped around on her knees to face him, trying to casually push the bag underneath her coat. She felt Tikki squirm in discomfort through the fabric.

"Y-yeah! Yes I'm fine, I just saw some stuff about to fall out of my bag that I hadn't realized was opened and I didn't want things falling all over the ground and make a mess everywhere for people to step on so it's fine everything is fine!" Marinette clamped her mouth shut, realizing she was rambling very fast.

Adrien blinked at her in surprise before shooting her a crooked grin.

"You seem a little tense, huh?"

"OUT!" barked a voice from behind them, making them all jump.

Turning around, Marinette saw one of the assistant event planners bustling towards them, looking thoroughly stressed.

"Out! Everybody out! Only the designers and models are allowed back here right now, _no_ friends or family! Yes, that means you too, Monsieur Agreste! Out, out, OUT!"

Adrien stood as Marinette shrugged apologetically up at him, and he, Alya, and Nino hurried to find their way back to the main ballroom.

"Don't worry about a thing, girl!" Alya called over her shoulder. "We'll meet up with your parents and find our table for when you join us out here!"

"Thank you!" Marinette cried after them, smiling gently when Adrien shot her a grin and an encouraging wave, before they disappeared past the panels that lead to the runway.

As the assistant hurried off to another part of the room, talking quickly into her earpiece, Marinette turned to see Madam Charbonneau approaching them.

"Well, how are we feeling, ladies?" she asked, looking from her to Meesh. "Ready for a fantastic show?"

The girls expressed their affirmations, continuing to inspect for any more final changes that needed to be done.

"Excellent," their instructor continued. "You both have another ten minutes or so, then I expect you to head out and start mingling with the crowd, alright? There are many esteemed designers and fashion icons in that room right now, it will be good for everyone to go out and meet some people, alright?"

"Absolutely," Meesh said, and Marinette nodded in agreement, starting to feel the tension returning.

Charbonneau left them to their own devices as she moved off to tell other students the same thing.

Everyone moved as quickly as they could for their remaining time before resigning to the inevitable, calling their work good enough, and moving in twos and threes out into the ballroom.

Marinette hurried to finish her last inspections of all the models and her garments, before curiosity got the better of her and she stood up, making an excuse about going to find a restroom. Gathering her bag up into her hands, she hurried off into a quiet, adjoining hallway, and ducked into an alcove. She checked that no one was coming, then popped open the clasp and looked down at Tikki.

"What were you _doing?!_ " she said in a hushed tone, raising her eyebrows in concern. "You could've been seen if _anyone_ else had bothered to just look in that direction!"

"It's fine though, no one saw!" Tikki said, waving her hand in dismissal and smiling innocently up at her charge. Marinette frowned.

"Yes, but they _could_ have! What were you trying to do? Is something wrong? Is there an Akuma or…?"

"No, no, nothing like that, it's fine," the little Kwami shrugged. "I was just trying to see something. Don't worry, Marinette, you have enough on your plate right now!"

"You've been acting a little off all day, Tikki. What were you trying to see?" Marinette asked, feeling utterly bewildered.

"Never mind that!"

"Tikki, I don't–"

"Really, Marinette, everything is ok!" Tikki said firmly.

Marinette was still unsettled by all this, but after years of being around this Kwami, she had learned better than to argue when Tikki's mind was truly made up about something. She stared at her for another moment, before nodding in resignation.

"Ok. Fine, just… be more careful, kay? I don't know if I can really handle anything going too wrong tonight, let alone someone discovering you."

Tikki smiled in agreement, and ducked back into the bag as Marinette closed it once more. She made her way back to the prep room, where a couple more students were still finishing up, and where the models were chatting amongst themselves, waiting to be told to line up for the show. It looked like Meesh had already head out into the ballroom, so Marinette started towards the exit.

Before she had taken even two steps, a drawling voice made her stop in her tracks.

"Well, well, it looks like you _did_ manage to finish your collection after all."

 _'You've got to be kidding me,'_ she thought to herself, looking around to see Mathis leaning against one of the poles holding up the curtain dividers, leering in her direction. Dark, tailored dress pants clad his long legs, and the sleeves of his button down shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing the lean muscles of his pale forearms. The dark plum bowtie that hung around his neck created a strangely carefree appearance that did not match his unsettling, cold persona at all.

"Yes, it looks like I did," Marinette replied, her tone clipped.

"And what a _nice_ collection it is," he continued, his eyes wandering over to where the models wearing her work were sitting. "What a wonderful thing it is that you managed to _finish_ without anything happening. It really is an extraordinary accomplishment."

Marinette glared at him, wanting nothing more than to smack his stupid face.

 _'Why is he trying to bait me like this? He already failed…'_

"Isn't it?" she replied, keeping her voice level and crossing her arms. "Well, there was _one_ near-fatal setback, but luckily I have good friends and don't let things like that get me down."

"Yes… _lucky_." Mathis narrowed his eyes at her, but kept his smile in place. "You _do_ have good friends, don't you? Speaking of which, how was karaoke?"

Marinette stiffened.

"How did you–"

"You see, I _also_ have good friends," he said, in such a calm tone he could practically be talking about the weather. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked it. "And imagine my delight when they told me they recognized a dear classmate of mine, out and about enjoying a Friday night!"

"Marinette?"

They turned to find Adrien making his way towards them, his long strides carrying him quickly between everyone else.

"I came back to tell you your parents are here and waiting to say 'Hi'. Is everything alright?" he said coming up to her elbow. Though his tone was perfectly calm, she saw a furious spark in his eyes as he regarded Mathis.

Mathis in turn looked gently peeved at Adrien's appearance, but he brushed it off quickly, rolling with the turn of events.

"Oh good! I'm glad you're here, Agreste, because this actually involves you as well."

Marinette exchanged a look of confusion with Adrien before looking back at Mathis, who was quickly swiping through his phone again.

"You see, I was indeed mildly interested to hear about a classmate's activity, it's always fun to see people you know outside school. But the _real_ news-worthy aspect was the presence of a certain _celebrity_ there as well!"

Before either of them could say anything, he flipped his phone around to show them the screen. Picture after picture showed Marinette and Adrien together in the booth at the karaoke bar from the night before. There were a few shots of them singing together or exchanging a hug, but the majority were devoted to the moment when they had been discussing Adrien's father, with their arms entwined and heads resting on top of one another. The intimacy of the scene was palpable, and Marinette recognized just how easily their situation could be twisted into something much more suggestive with a well-placed caption.

"Quite a delightful turn of events, don't you think?" Mathis said with a smirk. "Aw, look how sweet and _cozy_ you two look. I'm sure the tabloids are going to run rather enthusiastically with this juicy information! Especially coming from myself, a source who knows _both_ of you and can confirm that you've been involved in a hidden affair, which would present Marinette with a huge advantage during tonight's judging. And when the stakes for tonight's winners are so prestigious, I'm sure the news writers can spin this into a _very_ intriguing story."

Marinette bristled, her surprise ebbing to make way for anger.

"What, were you just having me _followed?!_ " she exclaimed, her voice high with indignation.

"Oh dear! Of _course_ not!" Mathis shot back, a look of shock playing across his pale features, though Marinette recognized the sarcasm in his tone. "But the world does play to happy coincidences once in a while, doesn't it now?"

"How dare you," she replied, her hands balling into fists. "You have no right to use pictures of us like that!"

"It was _your_ choice to make the very public display of affection, my dear." Mathis rolled his eyes, his tone becoming bored. "I have every right. Although I suppose I don't _have_ to sell these photos if you don't get a recognized position in tonight's show."

Marinette's mouth fell open as she stared at him.

"I want a spot in that magazine spread," Mathis said, his dark eyes boring into hers, sending a shiver up her spine as his thin lips twisted into a wide grin. "I don't care what you do, I don't care how you do it. You _will_ make that happen."

"Mathis, you _conniving little piece of_ –" Her words were cut short when she felt Adrien place his hand on her shoulder. She looked around at him now, her eyes wide and heart beating fast as adrenaline pulsed through her.

But to her surprise, Adrien's expression was calm. A little smug even. Pulling out his own phone, he gave her a reassuring smile before turning to look again at Mathis.

"Well, Mathis, it seems you have created quite the awkward situation." His voice was light and pleasant.

Mathis raised an eyebrow at him.

"Well, awkward for _you_ , at least," Adrien continued. "You see, I'm afraid those photos are not going to do you any good."

"Oh?" Mathis inquired, crossing his arms and looking skeptically amused. "And why is that, exactly?"

It was Adrien's turn to hold up his phone. Mathis stared at the screen as Adrien scrolled down to show numerous photos from Alya's Instagram, all depicting them at the bar the night before. Marinette could see captions like "So glad to have the amazing four together again!" and "Life is so beautiful when you have beautiful friends to share it with!" Each of them showed very clearly the fun, easy atmosphere they shared that evening. Plenty of them showed Marinette and Adrien together as the subject matters. Most of them were light and playful. All of them had hundreds upon hundreds of likes.

"You see, anyone who would even care about _your_ pictures have already seen these. And there is, rather obviously, no cause for speculation and rumor spreading when you can have images right from a first-party source, right? Plus, I'm sure our friends would be _more_ than enthusiastic to back up our integrity. After all, it _would_ be their words against _yours._ "

Mathis' smile had disappeared by the time Adrien had scrolled to the end of the list.

"Magazines and tabloids thrive by getting their hands on information no one else has gotten to yet," Adrien said, tucking his phone back into his pocket. "And with all of these already displayed for the world to see, there wouldn't be much reason for them to buy _yours_ , is there?"

Marinette watched him as he spoke, an unbidden warmth filling her chest.

"Well," she chimed in, cocking her hip to the side with a slight smirk, "It looks like you don't really have anything to play against me after all. I mean it's not like I went and tried to, oh I don't know, _sabotage_ _other people's collections_." Her tone turned sharper as she said this, watching him carefully.

Mathis froze, locking his cold grey eyes on hers. His pale skin lost what little color was in it, and a disturbed look flashed across his face for a split second before his expression became carefully controlled.

Adrien looked between Mathis' blank expression and Marinette's fiery resolution. He grinned proudly at her retaliation.

"You know _exactly_ what she is talking about, don't you?" Adrien asked, stepping closer and keeping his voice low. "Do you really want us exposing _you_ to everyone here? Keep pushing, and that is just what will happen. What's the matter? _Chat_ got your tongue?"

Mathis' eyes narrowed as he regarded them.

"I'm afraid I don't have the slightest idea what you mean," he said quietly, his lips hardly moving.

"No?" Marinette raised an eyebrow. "Of course you don't. Let's hope to keep it so that no one else does, either, shall we?"

With that, she turned and strode quickly towards the exit, Adrien hurrying along beside her. Her heart was beating fast, and her mind was racing with everything that had just happened. The knots in her stomach were twisting in full force once again.

"Hey… hey!" Adrien caught her hand as they moved into the darker space behind the panels, pulling Marinette to a halt before she could enter the ballroom. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she said shaking her head dismissively.

He put his other hand on her shoulder and turned her around fully to face him, bending down a little to meet her at eye level.

"You don't really look fine, though," he said. "Actually, you look pretty tired. Did you not sleep well last night?"

Marinette looked up into his eyes, which were full of concern. She was reminded of how he had done the same thing in the stairwell of her studio, offering comfort at the very beginning of this mess. That night felt ages ago. Inhaling deeply, she rubbed her hands up and down her arms like she had before.

"I… I'm ok, really. Just a bit shaken up, I guess, that's all." She bit her lip, glancing down to her feet. "I'm so sorry about all of that, Adrien, I really can't _believe_ he tried to get you tangled up in it too."

"Oh don't even worry about that!" he said with a chuckle. "It was more than worth it to get to shut him down."

"Yeah, that's true," she said, allowing a smile to grace her lips. "I just hope he doesn't try to do anything else."

"What more can he do?" Adrien asked, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. "Don't worry, he can't pull any more strings tonight. Nothing is going to happen, kay?"

Marinette watched him for a moment as he grinned reassuringly at her, before taking another deep breath.

"Ok, you're right. Thank you," she replied, his positive mood rubbing off on her again.

Adrien released her then and moved to place his hand on the curtained panel.

"Shall we, then?"

Marinette nodded, exchanging one more smile with him before he pulled back the curtain and led the way onto the stage.

The entire place was now full of music and life, as the many finely dressed guests mingled around with each other. Everything seemed to shine and sparkle in a glamorous way, and her breath hitched when she caught sight of a few famous designers that she had admired for so much of her life.

 _'Oh gosh, how will I make it through tonight?'_

Marinette spotter her friends and parents standing a little ways off from the foot of the stairs, chatting animatedly.

Adrien descended the steps quickly in front of her, then turned with a smile to hold his hand out for her to take.

She felt a tingle surge through her body at the look in his eyes, and before she could reach out and take it, she suddenly felt the hem of her dress catch on her right heel. Her foot slipped out from underneath her on the edge of the step, and with a cry of surprise, she fell forward.

The floor rushed up to meet her, and she threw her hands in front of her face to try and catch herself. But the next thing she knew, the world stilled around her once again, and a pair of warm hands held her by the shoulders.

She looked up to see that Adrien had side-stepped quickly in front of the stairs to catch her before she crashed down.

He let out a surprised chuckle as she blinked up at him in shock.

"You ok?" he said with a grin.

"Yeah," she said with a nervous laugh, quickly straightening up. "I'm good, thanks."

Adrien raised an eyebrow at her. He looked like he had wanted to say something more. But quite suddenly, they found themselves joined by her family.

"Marinette, sweetie!" Tom and Sabine came forward and wrapped their daughter up in their embrace.

Over her mother's shoulder, Marinette could see Adrien close his mouth with a smile, though she thought she detected a trace of disappointment.

"Are you ready for the show, then?" Sabine asked as they stepped back to release their daughter.

"Yep! Everything is good to go," Marinette nodded, smiling.

"Great! Now when's the food?" Nino asked insistently.

"You are in this beautiful place surrounded by some of the most important people in the city, and all you can think about is your _stomach_?" Alya exclaimed incredulously.

"Um, excuse you, have you _smelled_ what they've got cooking back there?" Nino shot back.

Alya rolled her eyes, but joined in with the rest of their laughter.

"Dork," she said, wrapping her arm around his shoulders to flick his ear on the other side, but pulling him in for a peck on the cheek all the same.

"Ready to mingle, then?" Adrien said, stepping forward slightly to bring himself closer to Marinette.

She raised her chin resolutely, and grinned at him.

"Let's do this!"

It truthfully felt a bit surreal to be laughing and drinking expensive wine with such revered designers and editors. Marinette recognized many people as being inspirations to her at one point or another, and she could hardly believe that they were now exchanging pleasantries at a Gala for _students_.

 _'Well, I suppose if someone like Gabriel Agreste is the one heading everything, it's only to be expected that people of notoriety would show up,'_ she decided, taking small, nervous sips from her glass.

Alya and Nino eventually split off during a conversation with a well-known music artist who was also prominent in the fashion scene.

A while later, Tom and Sabine got caught up talking to one of the event's head chefs, whom it turned out Tom actually knew from their culinary school years.

Adrien remained close by her side the entire time, though, which she realized she was entirely grateful for. He was like her personal beacon of warmth in the sea of intimidating strangers. Really, she wanted nothing more than to just spend time with him, wishing desperately that things could go back to how uncomplicated they had been the night before. True, nothing had _really_ changed, but the twisting anxiety in her stomach held her on edge.

His constant presence, though, was more comforting than she could have expected, and as he laughed and bantered easily with everyone they talked to, she found it more possible to act like herself.

On several occasions, Marinette caught sight of Mathis, chatting up important people with his silver tongue. More often than not, she felt his eyes on her, and his loathing was practically tangible.

Adrien caught on to her uneasiness each time, exchanging many concerned looks with her. But Mathis made no more moves, so the two of them were just stuck in a strange sort of impasse.

They eventually wandered out into the courtyard during a conversation with an editor from 'Elle Magazine.' The lanterns and twinkle lights reflected in the water from the fountains, creating a shimmering effect on every surface.

As the editor's attention was caught by another couple people joining their small group, Marinette shivered a little. The space heaters may have been making an exceptional effort to battle the dropping temperature, but that didn't change the fact that she was in a backless dress.

Adrien used the others' distraction to lean down and whisper, "Hey, are you too cold?"

"Oh, no! I'm f-f-fine!" she replied, shaking her head. But another involuntary shudder cause her teeth to chatter as she spoke, and goosebumps rose on her arms.

This definitely did not go unnoticed by Adrien. He raised an eyebrow at her incredulously, and without another word he slipped out of his suit jacket.

"N-no! Really I'm a-alright!" Marinette said hurriedly, realizing what he was doing. "You don't have to-"

"Too late," he said, draping the jacket over her shoulders.

Almost instantly, her chills began to subside. The material was warm from his own heat, and though she shot him an impatient look – because now _he_ was the one who was going to get cold – she was secretly very grateful.

He grinned at her in response, pleased to see that she had stopped shaking.

As they rejoined the conversation, Marinette tried very hard to not look at how Adrien's lean muscles were much more visible through the sleeves of his shirt. Remembering yet again how clearly she had seen them the night before, her cheeks quickly heated up, and she was fervently thankful that the light was dim enough that no one noticed.

A slight breeze began to pick up through the courtyard, and they could hear a howling wind high overhead. Thankfully, the tall surrounding building shielded them from the gale, but when a few snow flurries began drifting down, the small groups began to move back inside.

On the way to their table, Marinette made a move to take off the jacket, but Adrien held up his hand to stop her.

"No, you keep it until you warm up properly," he said, giving her a resolute look.

She pursed her lips into a pout, but sighed, and said, "Ok, if you insist," pulling it a little tighter around her shoulders, looking away to hide the small smile that fought its way onto her mouth.

They settled down at the table that their friends and Marinette's parents had already found, and were informed that food had been ordered for them as well. Meesh joined them moments later, happily falling into the conversation.

The food was quickly brought to their table. Marinette caught a familiar aroma of pasta and garlic chicken drizzled in a white wine cream sauce.

"Hey, we made this!" Adrien exclaimed, turning to her with a grin. "I mean, it's a bit different, but definitely a similar dish!"

"You're right!" she said, realizing now why she had recognized the smell.

Quickly taking up her fork, she twirled a little pasta onto it and took an experimental bite.

"This is pretty amazing," Marinette said, nodding slowly as she finished her first mouthful. "But I think I might've actually liked yours better."

Adrien smirked proudly at her words.

"If only we had some mulled wine to chase it, huh?" he said, leaning over to her.

She smiled happily, remembering their night at his apartment.

"That _would_ be perfect."

Several people stopped by their table to greet Adrien as they ate, and he introduced them all to some very exceptional designers and photographers, a few of whom Marinette had never even dreamed she would meet.

Towards the end of their meal, the chatter around them subsided into a hush as the lights in the ballroom dimmed a bit and the spotlights trained on the runway came on.

Madam Charbonneau walked out onto the platform to applause, and began to address everyone.

"Welcome, Madams and Monsieurs, welcome!" she said smiling, her voice magnified through a microphone. "Welcome to the International Fashion Academy's 34th Annual Student Gala Exhibition! The IFA has held much prestige for decades as one of the top fashion academies in the world. And tonight, we shall see the work of some of the top students in this academy. These young individuals have pushed themselves long and hard to get to the level they are at today. In their designs, you will find not only exceptional raw talent, but also the result of years of hard work and amazing passion.

"We are also extremely privileged tonight to have some very special guest with us," she gestured now to a long, rectangular table that stood to the side of the runway. "Monsieur Gabriel Agreste has joined us this evening, not only to critique the students' work, but also to help choose the top three collections from among them. The students whose collections are chosen will have the privilege of seeing their top pieces showcased in the Agreste magazine spread next month."

A murmur of excitement rang through the room, but Marinette was busy watching Gabriel Agreste. It was the first time in ages that she had seen him in person. Sitting between two other judges, Gabriel raised a hand idly in response to applause, and though he gave a gracious smile to the crowd, she thought he looked a little bored and impatient.

The moment his father was announced, she had felt Adrien tense up a little beside her. Charbonneau moved on to announce the other two judges as editors from other magazines, but Marinette was no longer paying them much attention. Reaching her hand out underneath the table, she placed it gently on Adrien's knee.

He looked around at her touch, and she gave him a small encouraging smile. He returned it, nodding gratefully, and put his hand over hers for a brief moment before they both withdrew again to look up at Madam Charbonneau.

"Now, without further ado, let the show begin!"

Charbonneau moved off the stage behind the panels as music started. The electronic beat played for a few moments when the first model appeared on the runway. She took long, elegant strides as she worked to show off the garment she wore, and paused at the end of the runway to strike a pose. The moment she turned around, another model came out wearing the second piece of the student's collection. The two models passed each other halfway down the catwalk, and this cycle continued with the appearance of a third model.

Collection after collection was shown, clearly distinguished with a subtle music change at the start of each one. The workmanship in the designs was certainly impressive, though some were much better than others.

Mathis' collection was seventh out of the sixteen. His designs were entirely beautiful and cleanly tailored. He had played with more minimalist designs, showing his skills with very precise details and lines. Though Marinette hated to admit it, she admired his work. It was clearly masterful.

But there were a few other collections that were nearly as impressive. One in particular, by a student named Alec, was easily just as beautiful. He had made a collection of gowns that were so ethereal and detailed, Marinette felt as if she were looking at a Monet painting.

Eventually it was time for her collection to walk. She sat up straighter in her chair, a rush of anticipation welling up inside her.

Adrien felt her movement next to him, and looked around at her.

She glanced at him and saw that he was beaming at her. The excitement on his face seemed once again to drive away any trace of the nerves she had been battling. She grinned back at him before they both looked back to the runway.

The first model came onto the catwalk, exhibiting a striking air with the dramatic, sculptural forms of the midnight black dress. She began strutting, her expression intense and commanding, when halfway down the runway, Marinette saw a smirk cross her face, and just as she'd planned, the model reach a hand to the hidden strap on her hip, and pulled.

There was an audible gasp as the train of watercolor fabric flowed out behind her. It was a sunrise in motion. The fabric floated weightlessly behind her, creating a breathtaking river of soft blues, golds, and violets.

Marinette felt ready to burst with pride.

Each of the following dresses walked perfectly, just as she had hoped they would. The last dress was easily the most spectacular of all, flowing down the runway with breathtaking elegance.

Adrien leaned over to Marinette as the model turned and made her way back behind the panels.

"Amazing!" he whispered in her ear. "But to be honest, I think I liked that one better on you."

Marinette snorted, her hand shooting up to cover her mouth in embarrassment.

Adrien shot her a smug look and she nudged him hard in the side with her elbow.

"You're entirely wrong," she whispered back. "But thank you."

Now came the finale. Alya shot Meesh a thumbs up as she bounced up and down in her seat with excitement.

The lights on the runway dimmed to less than half their brightness, and Marinette could hear a few people muttering about "technical difficulties." But just then, the first model came into view, and there were multiple exclamations of wonder at the sight.

The dress was short in the front, with a long train flowing in the back. But what made it a showstopper was the numerous luminescent applications that made it look like a goddess was walking before them. Pinpoints of light glowed from the delicately flowing fabric, creating a starry effect.

All the rest of Meesh's garments had the same otherworldly effect, culminating with the last piece, which had numerous ribbons of fabric, each over ten feet long, that splayed out stunningly as the model moved.

Meesh was squeaking incoherently with delight as the model disappeared backstage and the entire room exploded with cheers.

Marinette reached over to squeeze her shoulders, grinning at her friend's achievement.

Madam Charbonneau made her way back onto the stage.

"Well done everyone!" she said, speaking once again into the microphone. "Well done, indeed! This was an absolutely stunning show, and I know I speak for each of the other instructors when I say we couldn't be more proud to have you all as our students. The work exhibited tonight was of some of the highest quality we could have ever hoped to see from you. And regardless of whether you win one of the top three spots tonight, you _all_ should be very, very proud."

Marinette watched as one of the assistants collected something from the judge's table, and made his way up the steps to stand beside Charbonneau, handing her a white envelope. The silence in the room grew tangible as she slipped the card out of it to read the names.

"The first winner tonight is…" Charbonneau paused dramatically as she looked down at the card with a pleased smile. "Michelle Chijeb!"

A roar of approval spread through the room as Meesh stood up from their table, which was now flooded with a spotlight. Her face was ecstatic. Marinette cheered loudly as she made her way between the other tables to the steps of the catwalk.

"No surprise there!" Nino called to them, and everyone at the table expressed hearty agreement. The noise fell again as Charbonneau moved forward to speak.

 _'Either Alec or Mathis,'_ Marinette thought to herself. _'It has to be…'_

"In second place… Alec Pittaluga!"

Marinette whooped along with the rest of the cheering crowd as a tall young man with shoulder length auburn hair and a light grey suit made his way up the stairs, a joyful but humble look on his face. Meesh cheered as he came to stand beside her, looking happily dazed as she wrapped her arm through his to stand proudly together.

A hush came over the room once more as Charbonneau prepared to announce the third and final winner.

 _'Please don't be Mathis,'_ Marinette found herself praying fervently, desperately not wanting to see that slime ball be rewarded after all he had done. _'Please, please, please let it be anyone but Mathis.'_

"Our third and final winner this evening is… Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"

Marinette blinked, feeling suddenly dazed as a spotlight found its way onto her. She'd _won!?_ After everything she had gone through with the horrible designer's block, to the full reset, to designing and making a full collection in _just two weeks,_ she had _won!_

Leaving Adrien's jacket on the back of her chair, and her purse safely hidden under her seat, she exchanged enthusiastic looks with everyone at the table as they applauded. Adrien caught her hand in a gentle squeeze as she made her way around the table, and she shared a quick grin with him before he let go. She quickly found her way up the stairs and onto the stage to stand beside Madam Charbonneau and the others.

Meesh wrapped her other arm around Marinette's happily, crying, "We did it, Mar-bear!" over the cheers. All linked up, the three designers stood proudly together.

Marinette's smile faltered a little when she caught Gabriel's eye. He was regarding her thoughtfully as Charbonneau addressed the crowd about how pieces from their collections would be featured in the next month. He didn't even avert his gaze when he caught her looking back at him, nodding slightly in her direction instead. Marinette finally turned away from him to listen as Charbonneau spoke.

"Congratulations, you three! You all should be very proud!" Charbonneau said, addressing them directly. "You have worked extremely hard for this, pushing yourself further than you have before. The collections you have made for this evening are among the best we have ever seen from any students here at the Academy, and we are thrilled to see more of what awaits all of you in your futures."

As Marinette looked out over the crowd, she caught a glimpse of Mathis looking up at her from his table. It was hard to tell with the bright lights shinning into her eyes, but she thought he seemed exceptionally _livid_. Blinking, she tried to get a better look, but the next moment, he had turned away to get another drink from a passing waiter.

Charbonneau culminated her speech by expressing her wishes for everyone to indulge in the rest of their food and drink and enjoy the remainder of the evening, and the room filled with ovation one last time.

As they descended the steps off the runway, Gabriel Agreste stood up from his seat at the judge's table and made his way over.

"Congratulations," he said to Marinette as the others dispersed into the crowd. He was looking at her with a strange smile. "You make very exceptional work, it is a pleasure to see how far you have come since your younger years."

Marinette returned his smile, feeling a little unsure

"Oh, t-thank you, Monsieur," she said, brushing her bangs out of her face nervously. "I'm honored that you chose me to be featured next month."

"Yes, well it was a clear choice," he replied before bowing slightly towards her. "I would very much like to speak to you about your designs, but I'm afraid that will have to wait. Unfortunately, I must leave the festivities early. I have some work I must attend to now. Please do enjoy the rest of your evening."

"Thank you, y-you as well."

Marinette watched him turn and make his way through the crowd, stopping now and then to indulge in banter and farewells with a number of highly esteemed folks. Part of her was pleased that he would admire her talent at all, being that he had once been her favorite designer. But in that moment, with the knowledge of how cold and calculating he could be, she felt quite a bit of intimidation at the thought of discussing her work with him.

"Yes, yes, many _congratulations_ to you, Marinette."

Marinette looked around to find Mathis making his way towards her, a cold glare painting his features. His hands were clenched into fists, and she could see his knuckles turning white. She straightened to her full height, preparing for whatever onslaught he was about to unleash against her for winning.

Suddenly Adrien was there as well, placing himself partially in front of her. His eyes were boring into Mathis with disdain, and Marinette could tell that his muscles were flexed through his shirt. He looked like a panther poised to strike.

"Stop, Mathis," he growled. His voice was so low that only the three of them could hear it. "You've lost. Nothing will change that. And you absolutely will _not_ lay a hand on Marinette."

"I only lost because she's clearly been whoring herself out to you!" Mathis hissed.

Several people in the crowd closest to them turned curiously to watch the confrontation.

"That's a _lie_ , Mathis, and you know it!" Marinette spat back, heat rising in her cheeks. "I am not _you_ , I would never resort to dirty scheming to reach my goals. And you need to stop trying to drag Adrien into your sick game, enough is enough!"

"Do you really want us to get a hold of Chat Noir?" Adrien said coldly. "I'm sure he would _love_ to settle all this in a rematch."

Mathis' lips were twitching as if he was about to start shooting back scathing retorts, but he was just staring furiously from Adrien to Marinette.

"You lost, Mathis. And I'm _not_ playing your games anymore," Marinette finally said, stepping forward to glare right in his face. " _No one_ is. You can't manipulate everything to go your way this time."

His fingers twitched. Face contorting into a snarl, Mathis tensed as if preparing to lunge at her. Adrien quickly stepped halfway in front of her, his arms raising protectively, but quite suddenly, Mathis turned on his heel and stalked off.

Marinette frowned after Mathis as he pushed anyone in front of him roughly out of the way, heading straight for the doors. She shook her head, reaching for a glass of wine off a tray that a passing waiter was carrying, and took a sip of it, feeling a strange mixture of satisfaction and disgust from the encounter. Turning back, she saw Adrien glance over the top of her head, a disturbed expression flashing across his face.

Confused, she turned to find Gabriel watching them from the door as Mathis passed right by him. His mouth was tight in a straight line, and he somehow looked both disappointed and gratified.

Marinette remembered what Adrien had told her the night before, about how Gabriel thought something very much like this was going to happen, and all at once it felt like she had been plunged in a bucket of ice water.

Gabriel shook his head very slightly, before turning and making his way out of the room.

A feeling of dread came over her as she turned back to the confrontation. What was Adrien's father going to do to him now?

Looking away from the doors, Adrien turned his gaze to her sympathetically, reaching his hand up to her shoulder.

"Well _that_ was interesting," he said.

"Yeah," she said, looking up at him. "Thank you for standing by me again."

Adrien smiled, pulling her into a half hug.

"Of course," he said, his voice soft and comforting.

Marinette felt a strong wave of gratitude for him, glad that he was near. It felt nearly as familiar as having Chat Noir there.

Chat's words from their talk floated into her mind just then, and a small part of her wondered what it would be like to tell Adrien the truth…

But, remembering her nightmare, she clenched her jaw as yet another small wave of fear swirled up. She moved forward, out of his embrace, and started to walk back to their table.

"I saw your father," she said, glancing back at him. "He didn't look happy about all that. What do you think he's going to say?"

"I honestly don't _care_ what he might say," Adrien replied in a resigned tone. "He doesn't get to intimidate me anymore. I mean, there will always be people like Mathis in the world, and it's better to deal with those sorts of things in the best way we can whenever they come up. Not just sit there worrying about everything people may or may not do. Actually, um… Marinette?"

She looked back around at Adrien. His cheeks were flushed, and he reached his hand up to scratch the back of his neck. She couldn't for the life of her understand why he suddenly looked so nervous unless… Oh… _Oh no…_

"Now that all of that is over, do you mind if I speak to you? In private?" he asked her quietly, looking her in the eye in spite of his anxious air.

Involuntary tingles ran through her from the base of her spine as she lost herself for a moment in the look on his face. And despite her mind screaming, _'NO!'_ she found herself nodding wordlessly, quickly downing the rest of her wine and placing her glass on a table beside them.

She allowed Adrien to take her hand and lead the way across the crowded room, towards one of the smaller side doors. As they wove between people, the knots in Marinette's stomach that had lessened a bit throughout the evening were now tightening with full force. They passed their friends without saying anything.

Nino shot them a knowing grin, but Alya looked between them, and seeing Marinette's expression, worry came over her face.

Marinette glanced helplessly at her before Alya was lost from view, the door closing behind her and muffling the music. They were in a quiet hallway with fancy adornments covering the walls. Their footsteps were nearly silent on the thickly padded carpet.

Adrien stopped halfway down the hall and turned to face her, releasing her hand.

Her fingers tingled at the absence of his warm skin against hers, so she clasped her hands together to try and dispel the feeling. She waited for him to speak, but he said nothing at first, instead just looking at her with a gentle grin. His cheeks had grown even redder.

"Congratulations," he said finally, and his voice was level despite any bashfulness he might have been feeling. "You collection was truly amazing, I'm so proud of you."

Marinette just nodded her thanks with a small smile, unable to find any words to say.

Adrien rocked back and forth a little on the balls of his feet and bit his lip, looking momentarily unsure, but before she could do anything more, he spoke again.

"Marinette, I wanted to thank you, again, for… for the way you've stood by be and listened and supported me through everything with my father."

She shook her head quickly.

"Don't worry about it, that's what friends are for, right?"

He nodded, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yeah, but still, it means a lot to me to know you've had my back with all that. I'm really sorry for what he said."

It was her turn to shrug, giving him another smile but not really knowing what else to do or say.

"Marinette, you are really such an incredible person. There are not many people I know who are nearly as kind and generous and caring as I've seen you be. You are truly exceptional, and I've really enjoyed spending so much time with you these last few weeks."

Marinette's heart was pounding. She wanted to turn tail and run, but his voice had her rooted to the spot.

"And I… well, I really, _really_ like you. Like, you are one of the most important people to me I've ever known. A-and I was wondering if… maybe, you liked me too? I mean, I was wondering if…"

She clenched her hands tighter together, her knuckles turning white as she tried to cover up how they had begun shaking. She knew now that he was going to say the very thing she was both longing for and dreading.

"Marinette, would… would you like to go out with me?"

 _Those words_.

They were all at once like the sweetest music to her ears and sharp knife twisting into her heart. She had waited for _so much_ of her life for Adrien to say something like this to her, had wanted it so badly for so long…

And now that he had finally said it, she felt like she was going to be _sick._

The images from her nightmare were flashing across her sight. There he was, once again laying unmoving upon the heaps of rubble, covered in blood. She stared down at her feet, terrified that if she looked into his eyes, all she would see was that empty stare, devoid of life and joy.

The voice from that dark, shrouded figure rang through her ears once again.

 _"This is what comes from loving someone. You lose them."_

 _"No,"_ she breathed, trembling from head to toe. _"No no no!_ "

Her voice grew louder as she tried to drown out those words, and she pressed her face into her hands to push away those horrific visions that were filling her mind.

 _"No, please no!"_

An intake of breath brought her rocketing back to the present, and her head shot up to see Adrien still standing in front of her. Hot tears prickled into her eyes as she recognized confusion coloring his face.

He took a hesitant step back from her, looking down at the ground with jarred expression.

Her chest tightened, and her mind flew into even more of a panic, realizing what she'd just said… what she'd just done to him.

Before she could say anything more, he straightened up, and his face went blank as he adopted a calm, detached demeanor.

"I am sorry, Marinette," he said, his voice carefully controlled, as he lowered his head in a half bow. "I didn't mean to upset you. You do not have to do anything, I promise I will not bring anything like this up again. Please forgive me."

Her heart constricted tightly as he spoke, and tears now began streaming down her cheeks. She had seen him like this a handful of times before, whenever he had been shut down by his father.

"A-Adrien, I–"

An earth shattering _BOOM_ at the end of the hallway shook the ground.

Marinette was thrown hard against the wall behind her. Blinking her eyes, which were now gritty with the dust that filled the air in billowing clouds, she looked around in confusion.

Adrien had his body pressed against her protectively, his arms around her head and shoulders to shield her from the explosion. His hair and suit were covered with a thick layer of dust.

Several screams came from the room beyond.

A giant, gaping hole had been blown in the wall to the ballroom, just feet from where they had stood. Massive slabs of drywall and concrete were littering the floor.

Adrien's lips were curled into a snarl as he glared over his shoulder.

"What the _hell_ was tha– " he began to say, when a high, chilling laugh rang out and cut his words off.

 _"Oh Marinette!"_ An eerily familiar, singsong voice reached them, and they both stiffened in shock. "Come out, come out, wherever you are! I'd just _love_ to play a little game with you!"

Marinette ducked underneath Adrien's arms, and he made no move to stop her as she rushed over to the hole to peer through the cloud of debris. Bits and pieces of what used to be a couple of the dining tables were scattered among the wreckage. It looked as if they had been thrown into the wall with unbelievable force.

All the people were scattered around the rooms, hiding in corners or underneath chairs and tables. Every face was turned towards the stage.

High up in the air, a man was floating, observing the people who cowered before him with glee. He wore brown slacks and suspenders, a violet paisley shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and a bright, silky bowtie. In his hands were large, wooden control paddles with long chorded marionette strings hanging from them.

What was unsettling about him, though was his face. It was as if the normal features of a human had been distorted and polished like some horrifying doll. His eyes were wide and rounded like coins, the pupils dilated to an unnatural size. And his smile was stretched and stiff, ever leering.

Spotting Marinette peering up at him behind the demolished wall, he let out another cold laugh.

"Aahh, _there_ you are Marinette, my dear. Come now, let's _play._ "

Marinette's eyes widened in recognition.

Mathis had been Akumatized. And he was coming after her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Marinette's hand instinctively reached over to her hip as she prepared to run somewhere secluded and transform.

But her purse wasn't there.

Panic rose in her as she realized that it – and more importantly, Tikki – was still underneath her chair over by their table.

"Oh no…" she heard Adrien breath behind her. She glanced over at him to see that he was looking through his dusty vest's inner pocket, an expression of horror coming over his face.

Marinette's heart ached as she thought about what had just happened between them, but with Mathis Akumatized and terrorizing so many people, she knew that now was not the time to deal with it.

Reaching a hand up to wipe some of the grime out of her eyes, she ignored how they were still wet with tears, and turned back to the room.

The Akuma was floating towards her, a manic smile playing on his face.

Without thinking, Marinette kicked off her heels, launched herself over the lower part of the destroyed wall, and began sprinting between the tables. A few cries of surprise from the people cowering underneath them rang out, but the loudest among them was Adrien's shocked voice behind her.

"Marinette, WAIT!" she heard him yell out. "STOP! _WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"_

His footsteps were pounding after her, and she could tell he was quickly closing the distance. She put on another burst of speed. More than anything, she wanted to just turn around and get him to safety, and maybe just _try_ to explain that she hadn't meant to do what she just did.

But the most important thing right then was taking care of the Akuma. It was _her_ job to restore everything to safety.

Leaping over an upturned chair, Marinette sensed rather than saw a huge _something_ hurling in her direction. She quickly rolled out of the way of a table as it spun through the air like a giant Frisbee.

The Akuma was twirling the control paddles in his hands, and the long strings that hung from them began to glow a bright, electric blue. Marinette watched as he flung his arm out and the cords shot forward to attach to another table. The people hiding under it screamed as it was wrenched up into the air.

With a lazy flick of his wrist, the Akuma launched it at her.

Before she could move, something very solid rammed into her side and shoved her out of the way. She fell to the ground right as the table collided into the floor where she had just been. Looking over, she saw Adrien on the floor next to her, a hard and determined look on his face. He had caught up.

"Adrien, get _back!"_ she shouted. "It's not safe!" She leaped to her feet and went tearing off towards their table once again.

"And you think what _you're_ doing _is?!_ " he retorted, scrambling after her. "He's coming for _you_ , you need to get to saf–"

Adrien's words were cut short as the Akuma launched one of the large stage panels in their direction. The heavy board crashed down between them, barring his path.

"Are you alright?!" she cried, stumbling in alarm as she looked back over her shoulder and watched the flowing white curtains billow to the ground.

"Keep _running!"_ she heard him call, and with a breath of relief, she redoubled her efforts to get to Tikki.

Marinette fell to her knees and slid under the table, quickly reaching for her bag. Flipping open the clasp, though, she found nothing but her wallet, phone, and keys.

"Tikki?!" she hissed, looking all around her in case the Kwami had fallen out somewhere. _"Tikki where are you?!"_

A familiar, little red head popped out of Adrien's jacket, which she had left on the back of the chair.

"Marinette, over here!" she called softly.

"What on _earth_ are you–?!"

"Now's not the time!" Tikki quickly raced over to her charge and ducked into the purse in her hands, disappearing from view just as Tom turned and saw his daughter through the mess of chairs a few feet away.

" _Honey!_ Are you alright?" he asked, and Marinette nodded frantically, as her mother turned to face her as well.

"I'm fine!" she said as she quickly prepared to crawl back out from under the table. Her confusion at Tikki's behavior was quickly fading to make room for the charge of adrenaline that was pulsing through her. "Where are Alya and Nino?" she asked, realizing that her friends were missing.

"I think they're across the room," Sabine whispered, huddling close to her husband, who had his arm protectively around her. "Alya ran off with her phone when the attack started, and Nino went after her."

Marinette blanched, concern for her friends firing up. Of course Alya would run straight into danger for the sake of a good story. Gritting her teeth, she opened her mouth again to speak, when the Akuma's voice rang out right near their table.

"Come on out, Marinette!" he called. "I have another game in mind _other_ than hide and seek, you know!"

Through the chair legs, Marinette saw that Adrien had untangled himself from the mess of curtains, and was rushing once again towards the table. She knew she couldn't let him catch up to her, or else he would never let her out of his sight to transform.

"You guys get to safety!" she cried, tumbling back into the open and sprinting for the nearest exit. "I'm going to lead the Akuma away from here so that no one gets hurt!"

"Marinette?!" Tom exclaimed, but she had already thrown herself into the doors and escaped out of the room.

"Come on, come on, _come on,_ " she muttered franticly to herself, flying down the corridor as her eyes searched for a place to be sure of some privacy. A few of the hotel staff exclaimed in surprise as she rushed passed them through the lobby.

Spotting an alcove to the left of the large glass doors leading outside, she quickly beelined in its direction.

A huge _crash_ came from behind her.

Whipping back around, Marinette saw that the Akuma had followed her. The double doors she'd just come through had been blown off their hinges, and he was cackling with glee as he slowly advanced through the air towards her.

"I wasn't talking about a game of _tag_ , you silly girl!" he said, and she saw the maids she had just passed flee behind the reception desk. "Although I don't doubt you could put up a nice little chase."

"You leave my daughter ALONE!"

Marinette's heart constricted as her eyes fell away from the Akuma and onto her father, who had followed them through the wreckage.

Tom's cheeks were red with anger, and his mustache bristled as he balled his large hands into fists. With a furious shout, he charged forward.

"Ah ah ah!" the Akuma said, waggling one pale finger as Tom leaped over a couch, planning to knock the villain out of the air. "This is not a family affair. I was having a talk with _Marinette_ , not _you!"_

"Dad! _Look out!"_ Marinette cried, but she was too late. The Akuma lazily twirled his control paddle, and the metallic marionette strings glowed once again before he whipped them forward.

They latched themsleves onto Tom, suspending him in midair. He let out a cry of surprise, and then one of pain as the cords snaked around his arms and torso to embed themselves in his skin.

"No! What are you _doing?!"_ Marinette screamed, watching helplessly as her father strained mightily against the restraints.

Horror froze her into place as her father suddenly went limp.

"Dad…?" Marinette breathed, too shocked to even move.

"I never did properly introduce myself, did I?" the Akuma said in an amused tone, turning around to look at her. "Well… I am the Puppet Master."

The Puppet Master flicked his controller, and suddenly, Tom jerked back to life. Only it wasn't really Tom.

Marinette looked up at her father and saw that his eyes had gone blank and lifeless, but a wide, twisted smile that resembled that of the Akuma's grew across his face.

Abruptly, he charged forward at Marinette, his hands raising in front of him, preparing to grab her.

"DAD?!" she cried in alarm, quickly stumbling backwards, unable to tear her eyes off her father.

Her back slammed into the glass doors behind her, and with nowhere else to go, she dove sideways to avoid getting caught.

Tom rammed into the glass so hard, each of the panels shuddered violently. Spinning around to face her, he advanced again, and Marinette scrambled back on the floor.

Just before Tom could seize hold of her ankle, a long metal staff shot between them, knocking his outstretched hands away from her.

Marinette whipped her head around to see Chat Noir bounding towards them through the lobby.

He retracted his staff a little before swinging it to catch Tom in the chest, pushing him further away from where Marinette lay in astonishment.

Chat leapt protectively in front of Marinette, holding the staff out in front of him.

"Don't you _dare_ touch her," he growled up at the Puppet Master, who simply laughed.

Marinette looked up at Chat. She could only see part of his face from behind, but she could tell that something was off.

His jaw was clenched and the muscles of his shoulders were tense. Even the black cat ears on his head seemed to be sitting a bit rigid and flat.

All of his usual energetic gusto was missing, replaced with something much more stoic.

A part of her wondered what might have happened to make him act in such a way. But any further thoughts she had on the matter were quickly pushed aside as her father rushed at them once again.

"Marinette, get out of here!" Chat shouted over his shoulder as he blocked one of Tom's strong blows. "I'll take care of your father, now _go!"_

"Please don't hurt him!" Marinette called as she jumped to her feet, quickly pushing her way through the glass doors to the street outside.

The wind whistled, blowing her hair and skirt about her as she dove around a few parked cars, and ran to a narrow alley a couple buildings down. Snow had started to fall heavily since she'd last been in the open, and there was a thin film of slush covering the pavement, causing her bare feet to slip a little as she went.

Her heart was pounding, and she ignored how cold her feet were becoming as the images of her father being possessed flashed through her mind. Just remembering the sight made her feel woozy.

Taking great lungfuls of the cold night air to steady herself, she pushed all that out of her mind and snapped open the clasp of her purse.

Tikki poked her head out, looking up at her girl with concern.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Marinette paused for a brief moment before shaking her head.

"No," she said, her voice cracking a little. "I'm not, but now isn't the time to talk."

Tikki nodded solemnly, before the alley way was filled with a bright flash of pink light, and Ladybug sprinted out of it, prepared for action.

She was heading straight back to the hotel entrance when Chat Noir suddenly dove out into the street, narrowly avoiding the glowing blue cords as they launched after him, piercing through the glass like bullets.

"Don't let those marionette strings touch you!" he called over the howling wind, spotting her as she ran over and helped him to his feet. "He can possess people with them. But they can get free when the strings are severed."

"D-did someone get possessed, then?" she asked, thankful that the wind covered up how her voice shook.

"Yeah, but he's safe now," he replied, not catching her quick sigh of relief. "He's after one girl, Marinette. Did you see–?"

"Yes," Ladybug said as they began to quickly back down the street, watching the Puppet Master emerge through the shattered glass. "She's ok, don't worry."

Chat nodded, but did not take his eyes off the Akuma, whose mocking grin only grew wider at the sight of them.

"Well, well, well!" he cackled. "If it isn't the complete dynamic duo, here to save the day! I was _hoping_ to have more fun with my dear _friend,_ but I suppose you'll do for now."

Ladybug began to spin her yo-yo by her side, glaring up at the villain.

"You don't have to do this, Mat- er, Monsieur!" she shouted up to him. "This isn't you! _Please_ try to fight this!"

"Ha!" The Puppet Master let out a harsh bark of laughter, twiddling his control paddles as the strings whipped around him, crackling blue once again. "You're right, I _don't_ have to do this. But _damn,_ do I really want to!"

Throwing his arms out in front of him, the lethal strings were launched at Ladybug and Chat Noir, They dove across the pavement to avoid being lanced.

Swinging the cords like whips, the Akuma brought them down again and again.

Ladybug was forced to keep dodging out of their reach, unable to make any attack of her own. The snow was coming down hard now. For a brief moment, she had the wherewithal to be grateful, for it meant there was no one else around for the Puppet Master to take hold of.

She had no real chance to see what Chat was up to, but every time she caught a glance of him, she saw that he wasn't fairing any better.

"Look out!" Chat cried, suddenly right next to her.

Grabbing Ladybug around the arm, he yanked her out of the way just as a silver car that had been parked near the sidewalk suddenly came crashing out of the air. The vehicle rammed into the ground with a deafening _bang_. It skidded along the road a good dozen yards before slowing to a halt, leaving an impressive gouge in the earth behind it. Dust filled the air around them from the demolished street.

Coughing, Ladybug looked around just in time to see a bolt of blue lighting hurtling towards them. Jumping up, she kicked out at Chat Noir, using the momentum to knock both of them apart and out of the way. The marionette cords struck the ground with a _crack_.

"Thanks!" Chat called to her.

She shot him a quick nod in response, too tense in the moment to muster a smile.

The two of them quickly circled around underneath the Akuma once again, throwing any attack up at him that they could think of. But each time, he deflected it easily.

"Dear oh dear!" the Puppet Master laughed in a derisive tone, casually avoiding Ladybug's yo-yo as she tried and failed to hook him around the leg. "I must say, I expected _more_ from Paris' esteemed heroes!"

Ladybug slid to a halt amidst the pile of asphalt rubble, and gritted her teeth in frustration.

 _'Time for plan B, then.'_

"Lucky Charm!" she cried, throwing her yo-yo high above her as she summoned the magic. There was a flash of dazzling light before something rope-like and polka dotted fell into her hands. Looking down at the object, she saw that it was a short bungee cord, with a small metal hook at each end. It was reminiscent of the ones that the delivery people used to strap down supply boxes in their trucks whenever they came by the bakery to stock for her parents.

Her eyes darted around the area, trying to discern how she was to use this thing, but when no immediate solution presented itself, she let out a short huff of impatience and prepared to strap the thing around her waist for the time being.

Before she could move, however, she caught sight of the Puppet Master, spinning those electric blue strings once again.

His grin widened menacingly as he looked down at something in front of him.

Following his gaze, she saw Chat Noir sprinting towards her, trying to move around to the villain's flank for another attack. He wasn't looking up to check for assault, though, distracted with watching her to see if she would use the Lucky Charm…

Realizing in that second exactly what the Puppet Master was about to do, she leapt into action, ramming hard into Chat's side to push him out of the way.

The Akuma let loose his attack.

For the briefest of moments, she felt a flood of relief as Chat Noir spun back around to look at her, surprised, but safe and unharmed.

But then, bolt of pain surged through her, causing her muscles to spasm.

Her eyes grew wide with panic. She looked down to see the glowing marionette cords wrapping themselves tightly around her body.

* * *

Chat Noir watched in horror as the Puppet Master's lethal strings locked onto Ladybug. They penetrated through her suit and into the skin along her arms and down her spin. Her face contorted in pain as she let out a shriek that chilled Chat to his very core.

"No! _Ladybug!"_ he shouted, unable to tear his eyes away as her body strained to fight off the Akuma's possession.

The Lucky Charm she had just conjured fell out of her hands and onto the cobblestones.

Limbs twisting this way and that, she began to rise slowly into the air, until finally she fell limp. Her head rolled to the side, and her eyes, which had always been full of such life and fire, went blank.

Chat stared at her in utter disbelief, and for a moment the only movement was the ever-howling wind.

"And now," the Puppet Master said in a low, gleeful voice. "Let the _real_ games begin."

Ladybug's body snapped to life again.

Her eyes remained empty, but her lips stretched, just as Tom's had, into a disturbing grin that mimicked the Puppet Masters. Dropping out of the air, her feet hit the ground. She shot forward towards Chat, yo-yo swinging into a whirl of bright red light behind her.

Reacting just in time, Chat Noir flung his staff up above his head. The yo-yo glanced off it with a burst of sparks.

"Wait, Ladybug! I–" Chat's words were cut short as he blocked another attack.

Ladybug was coming at him from every possible angle with such ferocity, it was all he could do to hold his ground and shield himself.

"Ladybug, stop!" he cried, casting his staff around to protect his side as she took another lighting quick jab at him. "My Lady! It's _me!"_

Blow after blow, he franticly tried to get the upper hand, to subdue his Lady in any way. But there was never an opening to take. Every time he thought he might have one, his footing became unstable on the ground that was now covered with a layer of slick snow, and he was right back at square one. He was too busy trying not to die to keep track of what the Puppet Master was doing, but after a time he heard the Akuma cackling gleefully overhead.

A chilling giggle started to pour out of Ladybug's mouth as well, echoing the laughter from her possessor. It was a cold, unnatural, _evil_ sound… Whatever it was, it wasn't Ladybug.

Chat faltered, unsettled by the disturbing noise. It was only for the briefest second, but his hesitation was enough for Ladybug to slip past his defense. She brought her elbow down on his collar bone. _Hard._

A burst of blinding pain lanced through his shoulder. He let out a yowl as she laced her yo-yo through his ankles.

Swiftly pulling him clean off his feet, she spun, whipping him in a wide circle around. Once she let go, he hurled helplessly through the air.

Flinging his arms out, and he just maned to catch hold of a snow-covered light pole before he hit the wall of a nearby building. Sliding quickly back to the ground, he had barely found his footing before she caught up and was throwing attacks at him once again, laughing hysterically all the while.

Her yo-yo flashed through the air, and this time he missed his attempt to deflect it.

A searing pain suddenly raked down his chest. He hissed sharply through gritted teeth. In lightning succession, she struck him again twice more before he managed to hit her yo-yo out of the way with his staff.

Stumbling backwards, Chat glanced down to find that his suit had been slashed open in several places across his chest and down his left arm. Already, he could see the hot, dark blood from the gashes trickling down to the ground.

 _'How is this possible?!'_ he thought franticly, looking up just in time to avoid being kicked in the kidneys. Their suits were supposed to be indestructible! ' _What is going on?!'_

"Oh little kitty, what shall you do?" he heard the Puppet Master break into a mocking, singsong voice, and his words were echoed out of Ladybug's mouth. "Your Lady is beating you, all black and blue!"

"Rhymes?" Chat shouted up at him while ducking underneath Ladybug's arm as she took a shot at his neck. _"Really!?"_

Ladybug spun just then, ducking down and whipping her leg out at Chat's kneecap.

He quickly jumped up to avoid her blow. Bracing a foot on the light pole she had backed him into, he launched over the top of her.

But just as he was about to clear her head, she flung out her yo-yo and caught him square in his gut. Thrown off balance, he hurtled into the street.

 _"Enough of this."_

Hitting the ground hard and sliding over the loose bits of stone and ice, Chat's ears twitched at the sound of Hawkmoth's familiar voice. He stumbled back to his feet and whipped around to shield himself from another of Ladybug's attacks.

But hadn't moved. Instead, she was standing still, several yards away on top of the pile of rubble, facing in the opposite direction from both he and the Akuma.

Twisting, he looked over his shoulder up at the Puppet Master, and saw the electric violet glow of a butterfly hovering in front of the Akuma's face as Hawkmoth continued speaking.

 _"As entertaining as it is to make our precious heroes duel, I have waited too long for their Miraculous. Take them."_

"As you wish, Monsieur."

The Puppet Master sneered, and subtly flicked his marionette paddles.

Chat Noir's eyes followed the strings as they flashed blue once again.

Ladybug's hands slowly rose up to her earrings.

"No!" Chat yelled.

Dread sent a fresh wave of adrenaline pulsing through his body. He jumped back into action, racing towards her over the torn up street as fast as he possibly could.

Ladybug pulled the first earring out. Her suit began to glitter with dancing pink lights. Her fingers moved towards the second one.

 _"NO!"_ he cried again, and without breaking pace, he scooped up a large shard of glass from the rearview window of the car the Akuma had thrown.

With every ounce of speed he could muster, his muscles tensed and he again leaped right over the top of Ladybug, bringing the glass down over his head and severing the strings that were controlling her.

A bolt of electric current shot through his hand and up his arm as he landed on the ground.

But even as Chat Noir whirled back around to her, he was momentarily blinded by the flash of bright pink light.

And very suddenly, everything in the world came to a halt. Even the howling wind seemed to become mute in that moment.

For there was Marinette, standing where Ladybug had just been.

In her hand, she held a pair of dark red earrings. And hovering over her shoulder was a small, red Kwami with a dark spot on her head.

No… no, it _couldn't_ be… Marinette was… _Ladybug?_

Marinette's bright blue eyes locked on Chat's, freezing him in place as he looked at her in utter astonishment.

And then, ever so slowly, her gaze drifted from his face down to his left arm, and her eyes widened in shock.

Chat followed her stare to find that a couple of the places where his suit had been torn in the fight included gashes along his forearm. And through the breaks in the fabric, underneath the trickles of blood, large parts of his cat tattoo were plainly visible.

 _"Adrien?"_ he heard her breath his name, an entire world of emotion held in her voice.

His heart constricted as he looked back up at her.

The snow swirling around her and had started to settle in her hair, making it look like she had a small crown of delicate diamonds. Just as it had done that night in the market place… just as it had done on New Year's Eve…

Marinette inhaled sharply, her hand closing around her earrings as they stared at each other, her mouth open in shock.

"Chat…? You're Ad–"

"LOOK OUT!" her Kwami cried, and suddenly a loud rushing filled Chat's ears. Before he even had time to tear his eyes off of Marinette's, a large, heavy car door rammed into her side.

She was lifted clean off her feet, and flew several yards through the air before slamming into the side of a building, her head glancing off the bricks with a sickening _crack._

 _"NO!"_

An almost inhuman scream tore from Chat Noir's throat, the sickly taste of bile filling his mouth from the force of it. Marinette's body hadn't even hit the ground when he was already desperately tearing off towards her.

The car door came crashing down again into the ground directly in front of him with a tremendous eruption of gravel, metal particulates, and glass.

Chat came to an unsteady halt to avoid the debris, sliding on the loose gravel and stumbling to one knee. Turning around to face the Puppet Master, a feral snarl curling his mouth into a grimace.

The Puppet Master was laughing.

"Ah ah ah," he said, his voice ringing out with a cold mirth. "You and I aren't finished yet, little kitty!"

Chat's hands clenched tightly into fists. He was shaking with rage.

The Puppet Master's wide, manic eyes shifted over to where Marinette lay, unmoving.

Chat turned to look at her as well. An icy chill ran up his spine.

She was slumped face down, covered in dust and rubble. A small, dark pool was slowly growing out from where her dark hair covered her face.

 _'No,'_ a voice of panic echoed in his head. _'No, no, no! She can't be…'_

"Oh dear me!" the Puppet Master chuckled. "Looks like our little lucky Ladybug is down for the count! But who is under the mask I wonder?"

Chat froze, glaring back up at the Akuma. So he _hadn't_ seen Marinette's face…

Abruptly, something small and very solid hit the top of Chat's head. Before he could turn to see if another enemy had appeared to throw rocks at him, he heard a small voice speaking from just above.

"He doesn't know who Ladybug is!" Marinette's Kwami had logged herself inside the fold of his left cat ear, and was calling softly down to him. "You still need to defeat the Akuma!"

"B-but I can't!" he retorted, alarm rising in him as he realized there was no way he could win without his partner. "She… s-she's–"

"There is a way! It will not be nearly as effective, but there is a way to stop him."

Her voice was clearly shaking with emotion, but she sounded resolute all the same.

"Wait, w-what about _her?!"_

Chat's heart was pounding faster and faster as cold fear pulsed through him.

The Puppet Master was starting his advance towards Marinette, twirling his paddles as the strings glowed once again.

"I need to get her to the hospital! She's hurt, and I need to–"

"Adrien listen to me!" the Kwami cried. "If you don't defeat the Akuma now, there will be nothing you can do to help her! You need to stop him so that you can use the Miraculous curing spell. If you don't–"

The Kwami's words became choked, and Chat realized that she was just as scared for Marinette as he was.

If they were going to save Marinette, he knew he needed to trust her.

 _'I'm coming, Marinette…'_

Tightening the grip on his staff, Chat Noir tore his gaze from where she lay and looked back up at the Akuma, a new flood of acute determination coursing through him.

His enemy let out another high, cold laugh.

"Silly sad kitty! Oh, what's to be done? Your Lady has fallen, and now you're just _one!"_

A roar tore from Chat's mouth as he jumped forward at the Puppet Master, fury coloring his vision.

As he leapt over the place where Ladybug had been possessed, he caught up the polka dotted bungee cord in his hands and strapped it to his belt. He had no idea what the Lucky Charm's original use was to be, but he would need it to complete the healing spell either way.

Chat dove in front of Marinette and shot his staff forward. He caught the Akuma square in the chest. The force knocked the villain back through the air a good twenty feet. He righted himself and flew forward once again.

"YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!" Chat bellowed, and charged forward to attack the monster head on.

The Puppet Master spun the glowing marionette strings yet again like a many corded whip, and brought it down in front of him. They hit the street below with a burst of sparks. Chat Noir leaped several feet to the side, avoiding the blow without slowing his pace.

Raising his arm over his head, the Puppet Master brought the cords screaming down towards Chat once more.

This time, Chat brandished his staff above him, catching the strings around it. Another jolt of electric energy flew up his arm with sharp tingles. His muscles to spasmed painfully, but he fought through it. In one fluid motion, he brought his staff down in front of him so fast, the control paddles were wrenched clean from the Puppet Master's grip.

The Akuma's expression flashed fear for the first time.

Without hesitation, Chat leaped up high into the air at him, dropping his staff and grabbing the bungee cord from his belt.

The Puppet Master flew to the side, avoiding Chat's clawed hands.

But before he was out of reach, Chat hooked the end of the cord through his violet suspenders.

Slamming his feet back on the ground, Chat used his remaining momentum to yank the cord down with all his strength.

With a cry of shock, the Puppet Master came tumbling to earth with it, landing heavily on his back.

Chat quickly dove on top of the Puppet Master, pinning his arms to the pavement with his knees. Without thinking, he shot his clawed hands forward and clenched it around the villain's throat.

A furious snarl rippled across Chat's mouth. He wanted to cause this vile man _pain_ for what he had done.

"Chat!" the small Kwami cried from the top of his head, but her voice sounded far away through the ringing that suddenly filled his ears. "It's in the bowtie! You need to Cataclysm the Akuma! Chat, _hurry!"_

Chat's hands gripped tighter, and the Puppet Master choked, gasping for breath even as he grinned up at him.

"CHAT! You need to save Ladybug!"

With a start, Chat blinked down in a daze, realizing what he was doing. Loosening his grip, he took hold of the silky magenta bowtie that sat around the Puppet Master's collar. There was a ripping sound, and he yanked it off.

The small black butterfly had hardly started to flutter out of the tie when Chat exclaimed _"Cataclysm"_ in a low voice, and caught the evil bug up in his fist.

A pulse of dark energy flowed out from his hand, making him feel a bit sick as he felt the damned thing disintegrate. Opening his fingers up, a tiny pile of dark dust fell was all that remained. A gust of wind gathered it into a small, dark cloud that glittered eerily in the streetlights before the snow swallowed it into insignificant nothingness.

"Now quick!" the Kwami called. "Throw the Lucky Charm into the air, high, and say Miraculous Ladybug."

Chat rushed to unlatch the bungee cord from the Akuma, and did as he was told, standing up off of the Akuma. The Charm burst into a million particulates of dazzling red lights, but as they flew around them and down the street, he noticed that the glow from the magic seemed to be much duller than usual.

After a few moments, the sparkles cleared away to reveal the scene. The street had been repaired, the little silver car was restored to one piece, and in the distance, he could tell that the debris from the hotel's damage had at least been mended on the outside.

But his sharp eyes still picked up on a few things that seemed wrong.

Where Ladybug's Curing Spell would fully erase any damages done from their fights, he saw that this time there was plain evidence of destruction. The car that had been smashed up so much was now no longer shiny and new as it had been before, but had a few dents in it. The street's asphalt was full of holes and cracks that had not been there before.

Mathis now sat where the Puppet Master had been, looking around.

Chat Noir paid no attention to him. He had grabbed his staff and was moving as fast as he could towards where Marinette still lay, a thin layer of snow already accumulating on top of her.

"No," he muttered, the fear he had felt before returning in full force. "No, no, no! _Please no!"_

The little red Kwami soared down from his head to hover worriedly above her girl as Chat dropped to his knees.

"Marinette?" he called softly, praying with everything he had in in that she was still alive. Reaching out, he turned her over as gently as he could.

He hissed sharply through his teeth when he saw the large gash that was running along the right side of her head, from the top of her hairline to just above her ear. Dark streams of blood ran down her face, clumping strands of her long dark hair together, and standing out sharply from her unnaturally pale skin. Her eyes remained closed.

Without thinking, he reached for the hem of her gala dress and tore a strip off the bottom, pressing part of it into the wound, and wrapping the rest of it tightly around her head. Her arms and legs were covered in in a number of scrapes and gashes. He saw that her right ankle was sporting a growing bruise as well, and already looked swollen.

"S-she's not waking up," he said, more panic rising inside him. "I used the Curing Spell, so why isn't she waking up?!"

"It's because _you_ were the one who used it," the Kwami said tearfully. "It wasn't _her,_ so it was only a fraction as powerful as it normally is. B-but I can feel h-her pulse."

She pressed gently against Marinette's neck. Chat felt a brief wave of relief flow through him.

"S-should we call an ambulance?" she asked, looking up at him, her eyes wide and scared.

He shook his head.

"No, there's no time," he said, hearing his ring let out a soft _beep_ and looking down to see that he now had three pads remaining. He was going to detransform soon. "I need to get her to the hospital _now._ There's one about a mile from here, I can get her there faster than waiting for an ambulance."

As gently as he could, he wrapped one arm under her shoulders, and his other under her knees. Standing up from his crouched position, he cradled Marinette's body close, her head drooping forward onto her chest. Even now, he was alarmed at how cold she felt, but was at least a little reassured as he felt her breathing against him.

The Kwami clung to Marinette's shoulder, huddling close under her charge's chin as Chat started running.

He thought briefly of taking out his staff to scale the buildings, but deciding against it, to keep from jostling her around too much.

The speed at which he sprinted through the streets made up for any time he would've gained from running the rooftops anyway. He crossed several areas full of traffic, and ignored the cars that honked at him, taking the most direct path where he could, regardless of other people.

"Come on, come on," he muttered as he ran, his strides lengthening each time he heard his ring let out another soft _beep._

Finally, as he ran through the narrow alley of two tall buildings, only a block from the hospital, there was a flash of green light, and he felt his transformation wear off.

"I'm sorry, Adrien," Plagg gasped from his shoulder, his tone much more somber than usual. "I held on as long as I could."

"It's fine," Adrien said quickly, still racing as fast as he could through the snow. "We're not far now! Everything will be fine."

 _'She'll be fine,'_ he added on in his mind. _'She will be fine. She has to be…'_

He hurried up to the emergency entrance, pushing past a few people to get inside the building.

Plagg and the red Kwami hurried to hide inside his vest pocket.

"Help!" he screamed, reaching the bright hallway just inside the doors, and finally slowing to look around for any doctors and nurses. "Please! Someone HELP HER!"

Several medics rushed up to him, stoical looks on their faces as they brought a gurney forward and helped to carefully place Marinette on it.

"What happened?" a lady in blue scrubs and a white coat said, glancing at him as she helped to put a breathing mask over Marinette's face.

Another EMT was already taking her pulse.

"S-she was caught in an Akuma attack," Adrien said, gently pulling his arms out from underneath Marinette's small body, but keeping a hold on her hand all the same. "She got thrown into the side of a building."

The people surrounding them were shouting a lot of different things to each other as they wheeled the gurney quickly down the hall.

Adrien kept pace with them, unable to tear his eyes off of Marinette's still form.

As they neared a set of doors, the doctor he had just spoken to turned back to him.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you have to stay here," she said firmly.

Adrien looked from the doctor to Marinette and back again. He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.

"Sir, we are going to have to take her to get checked out right now. You cannot come, please wait at reception and they will tell you what to do from there. Don't worry," she said, a bit softer now. "We will do everything we can for her."

Adrien's throat constricted, but finally he nodded and slowed his pace, letting Marinette's limp hand slip out of his.

"Please," he said, his voice cracking. "Please save her."

"She's in good hands," the doctor nodded to him before turning and hurrying on with the rest of the medics.

As they all disappeared through the swinging double doors, the noise died down.

Standing there, now alone in the hallway, he suddenly became aware of the hot tears that were running down his cheeks. How long had he been crying?

He looked down, surprised for a moment to be holding Marinette's earrings, before he realized he must have gotten them just then when he had taken her hand. His own hands were trembling, and his heart was pounding in a way that had nothing to do with how he had just run. Taking a few shaky steps, he managed to make it to the wall before sliding down to the floor and burying his head in his arms.

 _'_ _Please Marinette, be ok… please, come back to me.'_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 _Beep – beep – beep._

A gentle, steady rhythm from the heart rate monitor sounded regularly, ringing out over the hum of the machines. Low, murmuring voices floated through the open door from the hallway beyond. The slow _drip_ of an IV could be heard over the slushy raindrops pattering against the glass. Soft, delicate scents from the many bouquets sitting on every available surface wafted through the air.

Adrien sat still in one of the chairs set up in Marinette's room, his eyes closed as he focused on the myriad of sounds and aromas around him. He bowed his head to his chest, and wearily stroked his thumb in slow, methodical circles along the back of Marinette's warm, unmoving hand.

 _Four days._

It had been four days since he had rushed her to this hospital. Four days, and in all that time she still had not woken up. The only signs of life were displayed in her soft breathing, and on the monitor showing a slow but steady pulse.

Even the spark he normally felt course through his fingers when he touched her skin was muted now…

Scrunching his eyes tighter, he tried to force all thought out of his mind, putting every bit of concentration into matching his own breathing to the same slow measure of Marinette's.

 _Inhale… exhale… chest rises…and falls… breathe in… breathe out…_

A distant rumble of thunder broke into his meditation, and Adrien shifted a little in his seat before absorbing himself in her breathing once again.

Dark, rolling clouds filled the sky above Paris, hanging low and heavy with the storm that had been with them over the last four days. Snow had given in to sleet, which had then turned to rain, as the temperature moved away from the weekend's freeze. But there was a different chill going through the city that had nothing to do with weather.

The people of Paris were in a state of shock; never before had their hero duo failed to set everything right after an Akuma attack, and now suddenly there had been extensive lingering damages to the battle site, and a girl had ended up in the hospital. For the first time, they understood that their Cat and Bug were not perfect.

And as such, an urgent proclamation had been issued for any information on Hawkmoth. For once, it seemed like Parisian law enforcement was making a significant effort to track down the villain that had plagued their city for so long.

There had not been even the slightest whisper of another Akuma since the Puppet Master's night of terror, though. Part of Adrien was secretly relieved, for without his partner, how was he supposed to defeat anything? But another unbidden part of him was _angry._ That vile man had been manipulating innocent people to do his dirty work for _years_ , without once coming forward and facing them himself. Sure, there had been a few close calls where they had found him, but he'd _always_ managed to snake away into the shadows before they could act.

And now he had gone too far, had done something that might not be undone, and the entire city was banded together against him. Yet the bloody coward didn't even have the guts to move forward with his plans. There was nothing Adrien could do, nothing he could say to make anything happen. He was just… _trapped._ Stuck in a frozen state of helplessness, unable to make a move.

In spite of his efforts to clear his head, Adrien's thoughts slowly wandered back to the night of the attack. He hadn't sat in that hallway very long before a passing nurse took notice of the gashes raking his chest and arm, staining his shirt crimson, and she'd quickly ushered him up so as to tend to them. He had argued briefly that he needed to be there for Marinette, but the nurse had been insistent that there was nothing he could do in the meantime.

Adrien had at least had the wherewithal to contact Nino and tell him that they should all get to the hospital immediately before he was forced to put his phone away and let them treat his wounds.

In his state of fear for his partner's injuries, he had all but forgotten his own. But as the nurse rushed him into an area semi closed off by a curtain, he became acutely aware of the pain. When he removed his shirt, he saw that the cuts themselves weren't terribly deep. Of course, they still burned like white hot pokers being pressed to his skin as another nurse swabbed a clear goo across them before bandaging them up. They expressed concerns that there may be scarring, but he could hardly care less.

It was the clavicle contusion they focused on the most. A mottled red and purple welt had formed where Ladybug had struck him. The area was stiff and swollen, but the doctor who checked it ruled out the possibility of a break or fracture. There was nothing much they could do for it other than give him an icepack and a soft sling for his arm, advising him to keep pressure off of it.

"You should probably take a few pain relievers regularly over the next short while," the doctor had advised before Adrien was allowed to leave.

Gingerly, he buttoned up his shirt again as he walked down the hall, and upon entering the lobby, a familiar voice called his name.

He turned to see Nino, Alya, and Marinette's parents rushing over to him, concern plain on their faces.

"What happened to you, man?!" Nino exclaimed, taking in his appearance.

"And where is Marinette?!" Sabine demanded, her eyes wide with worry.

"Marinette is… we got caught in the Akuma attack," Adrien said wearily, his voice cracking as he fought the tears that threatened to flow once again. "S-she hurt her head pretty badly and got knocked out. I brought her here as fast as I could."

Sabine let out gasp, covering her mouth and shaking her head in shock.

Tom's jaw clenched in distress, but he clasped his hand to Adrien's uninjured shoulder, nodding gratefully before moving to the reception desk to inquire over his daughter.

Sabine reached out and gave Adrien's hand a squeeze before hurrying after her husband.

"Are you alright?" Alya asked, and Adrien saw that she had a painful looking scrape trailing along her cheek.

"I'm fine, really. Just some scratches and a bruised collar bone. I'll be ok," Adrien shrugged, regretting the movement instantly as his shoulder protested in pain.

"How did _that_ happen?" Nino inquired, motioning them out of the way as several doctors and nurses rushed passed them with another patient on a gurney.

"I-I'm not… entirely sure," Adrien said evasively as they moved over to a waiting area with a dozen or so chairs tucked out of the way of the emergency room chaos. A few other small groups of people were there as well. "It all happened kinda fast, and I was more focused on getting Marinette help than on myself."

Nino quickly filled him in on how he had followed Alya when she had tried to get some decent footage of the Puppet Master. However, they had been cut off when the table they were hiding under was lifted and thrown, injuring Alya. When the Akuma had left the room to chase after Marinette, Nino stayed behind to make sure Sabine was alright.

Alya then shared how she had been about to follow the Akuma once again and get some shots of the battle with Ladybug and Chat Noir, but when she found Tom in the hotel's lobby recovering from being taken over, she chose to help him instead.

Adrien learned that Tom was aware of the Akuma possessing him for a brief time during the attack, but he had no idea that he attacked his daughter. It seemed Adrien was the only one who really witnessed it – though the others didn't know that – and he resolutely kept that information to himself. He wasn't about to put Marinette's father through any more pain.

They paused their conversation to look up expectantly as Tom and Sabine joined them several minutes later.

"They can't tell us anything yet," Sabine said tearfully, sitting in the chair next to Alya. "They only said that she was taken into operation for injuries to her head and foot, but they didn't know anything else. We just filled out the paperwork but there is nothing more we can do but wait."

The five of them talked quietly for a while longer before falling into a tense silence, anticipating the moment someone came to them with news.

Adrien had no idea how long they waited in that reception area. It felt like hours. Whenever a nurse or a doctor passed their way, they would all look up expectantly, but each time proved to be a false alarm. The longer they sat there, the tenser he felt, and his mind was free to relive the entire attack over and over again.

He could feel Plagg and Marinette's Kwami huddled inside his pocket, and felt the shock roll over him after a while.

Marinette… and Ladybug… They were the same person. Ladybug was Marinette. His best friend… _How could he not have seen it before…_

"Are you all here for Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" a voice asked, and Adrien's head snapped up to see a dark haired woman with a clipboard standing over them.

They all jumped up at once, their questions pouring out in a rush.

"Is Marinette alright?"

"What's going on?"

"Is she going to be ok?"

"Where is she?"

"Are you her parents?" the woman asked, cutting them off and addressing Tom and Sabine directly.

"Yes," they said in unison, stepping forward a little to introduce themselves.

"I am Dr. Eva Montero. I need to speak to you in private."

Dr. Montero eyed Adrien, Nino, and Alya, but Tom interjected.

"Is it alright if they come along as well? These are her closest friends, one of whom was with her when she got hurt. They should be there to hear what you say."

Dr. Montero hesitated, then nodded kindly and motioned for them to follow her.

"Your daughter is being transferred to a room in the ICU," she said. "I'll take you to her now."

She led them to an elevator which took them up to the third floor, then down a long corridor before stopping just past another far less crowded reception area. She finally turned to speak to them directly.

"I have good news, but there is also some bad news. We have determined that though she has a few hairline fractures from the impact, they are thankfully negligible. There was no internal bleeding, nor any evident cranial damage. Her ankle was sprained, but nothing was broken, so it should heal up well enough."

Tom and Sabine nodded.

Adrien hung a couple feet behind them with the other two, listening intently. He could feel his heart pounding against his chest, and his hands fidgeted with the icepack.

"Unfortunately," the doctor sighed, "she has remained unresponsive, and we have been unable to wake her."

"S-so what exactly does that mean?" Sabine asked, her voice trembling a little as they desperately looked to the doctor for answers.

"I'm afraid I cannot say for sure at the moment. But we should have the results back from the EEG shortly, and hopefully we'll know more from there. For now, I'll leave you with her while I go and wait for it."

With that, she took a few steps towards the nearest door and opened it.

They all stepped in to see a bed sitting at the opposite wall of a small room. A number of machines all had various chords and tubes trailing around it, and hooked up to them was Marinette.

A nurse stood beside her, scribbling a few things down on his clipboard. He looked around when the door opened.

Marinette's parents rushed forward to her, followed closely by Adrien and his friends.

The nurse quickly moved out of their way with a somber smile, and quietly left the room to give them some privacy.

Sabine's eyes were filled with tears as she sat in one of the chairs next to the bed and took up one of Marinette's hands in both of hers. Tom stood over his wife and daughter, his face stricken.

Alya pulled up another of the chairs to the other side of the bed and carefully took Marinette's other hand, while Nino sat on the chair's armrest and rubbed her back sadly.

Adrien stood at the foot of the bed, staring down at her still form in complete shock. A dark bruise had bloomed across her forehead from the abrasion, though he could not see the actual wound as it was wrapped up in a series of white bandages. Her right foot was propped up on a couple of small pillows, and had been bandaged tightly as well, as had the many scrapes and scratches that dotted her limbs.

Seeing Marinette in this state of unconsciousness was so _different_ from anything he had seen before. It was nothing like that night when he had watched her sleep. That seemed so long ago. Now she was so… _still._ So small and frail. What _wouldn't_ he give for even the _tiniest_ movement. To see her soft pink lips curve into a smile, for her eyes to open and be filled once again with that fire he'd grown to love.

The five of them waited in silence for well over half an hour before Dr. Montero returned to the room. They all looked up at her expectantly.

"The results are back," she said with a small smile. "Though unfortunately, we are still dealing with some unanswered questions. Thankfully, we have found no abnormalities, nor any reason why she should not be conscious by now, but obviously she is still out. The reasons for this could be anything from trauma from the impact, to a state of shock, to a number of other things. But as of right now, we are having to rule her condition as comatose."

Adrien felt like he had been punched in the gut. Beside him, Alya gasped and shot a hand up over her mouth as tears began streaming down her face.

Tom hugged Sabine tightly, looking horrified at the doctor.

"She… she's in a-a coma?" he asked flatly. "Do you know h-how long she might be… Will she recover, do you know?"

"Well," Dr. Montero regarded them all. "As I said, we see no reason why she should not be awake now, so I am fairly confident that she will eventually wake up, when she is ready. This could be later tonight, or several days from now, or perhaps longer. For now, we will watch her closely and keep running tests to find any answers, and do our best to see that she is taken care of to the best of our abilities. With any luck, she should recover properly from all of this. Madam and Monsieur Dupain-Cheng, do you mind accompanying me for a moment? There are a few more things we should discuss."

The two of them followed the doctor out into the hall towards the reception area, Sabine resolutely brushing the tears from her red eyes.

"I can't believe this," Nino sighed, and Alya shook her head in agreement.

Adrien imagined he had been plunged into a pool of ice water. The word 'comatose' floated through his head over and over, but he couldn't seem to make his brain form a full coherent thought amidst the numb waves of shock rolling through him.

"I can't just sit here like this," Alya said after a few minutes, standing up. "I can't keep sitting still and doing nothing."

Nino stood with her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and nodding.

"Let's go see if we can hunt down some coffee or something. There has to be a place around here where we can get some food. Bro, you want us to bring you anything?"

Adrien shook his head, and they left the room, closing the door quietly behind them.

With no one else around, the two Kwamis ventured out to see Marinette for themselves.

The red one floated forward slowly before coming to rest on her girl's chest, staring up at her with wide, sad eyes.

Plagg looked at the both of them before landing on the covers near Adrien, being careful to avoid Marinette's injured foot.

Absently, Adrien pulled out a small stash of Jarlsberg he'd kept in his pocket, and Plagg took it wordlessly.

"I'm afraid I don't have any food for you right now," he said to the other Kwami, his voice hoarse. "Would you like me to get you anything?"

"Cookies," she said in a small voice, not looking around at him. "Whenever you get the chance."

Adrien grunted a quiet affirmation before moving from the foot of the bed up to Marinette's side. Unsure of what else to do, he leaned over her as he retrieved her earrings from his pocket, and ever so gently returned them to their rightful place. He heard Tikki let out a soft sigh, as if grateful for the small amount of relief that her girl once again had her Miraculous.

As Adrien pulled his hands away, his fingers lightly brushed her cheek. Her skin was cooler than what he'd become used to, the lack of her usual bright blush leaving her looking far too pale.

"Did–" Adrien's voice cracked as he tried to speak. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "Did you two... know? Who we were, I mean."

"Adrien…?" the small red Kwami said, her own voice sounding choked as well.

"Did you two know?" he repeated, stronger this time.

After a moment, he heard Plagg sigh.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Adrien was partially surprised by the edge that had crept into his words, but a burning anger was welling up in his stomach now, washing past the numbness he had felt up till then. "Why did you keep our identities secret this whole time? You could have _warned_ us! You could have told us we could trust each other! This whole time… we _knew_ each other in our own lives! And… and you just… Why didn't you do _anything_?! _Why didn't you tell us?!"_

"Adrien, please! We didn't–"

"We were _going_ to!" Plagg snapped.

Adrien tore his gaze away from Marinette's unconscious form to glare between the two Kwamis. His hands were balled into shaking fists.

"It's my fault! If I had known… If _we_ had known… I wouldn't have left her so vulnerable like that! I j-just stood there! Like a stunned _idiot!_ A-and now she's stuck here like this b-because I couldn't react in time! _If I lose her now, after all of this, it is my fault because I didn't know!"_

Adrien's voice had risen nearly to a shout. He quickly brought his fists up to rub away the hot prickling he felt once again in his eyes.

Plagg sighed, glaring past Adrien towards the wall. Slowly, he formed a small nest in the blankets next to Marinette's propped foot and curled up into a tight ball.

"Tikki and I had already decided to tell you two whenever we got the chance. She found me as soon as she could during that party, and told me about how–" The Kwami that Adrien realized must be Tikki turned around and shot Plagg a look, and he faltered a little before continuing. " – About h-how we needed to tell you guys the truth as soon as possible."

"But of course the stupid Akuma attack happened before we could do anything, and n-now…" Tikki trailed off, looking sadly back up at her unconscious girl. "We wanted to tell you Adrien. We really did."

Adrien slumped down into Alya's abandoned chair. Careful to keep from jostling the blankets around Marinette's foot, he rested his elbows on the mattress and covered his face with his hands. He knew it wasn't the Kwami's faults, but he still was finding it difficult to push away the waves of furry that were rolling through him.

"What happened out there?" he asked finally. "Why was Ladybug able to tear up my suit like that?"

He didn't particularly care for the answer much at the moment, but he felt the need to talk rather than sit in silence.

"As partners, you and Ladybug make up two parts of a whole," Tikki said quickly, clearly relieved that Adrien had stopped shouting. "Of all the Miraculous wielders, you two are the strongest, and were made to balance each other out. But there have been times in the past when… well…"

"When one of our charges has tried to use the Miraculous power for selfish purposes," Plagg said, a note of irritation in his voice.

"Usually, Miraculous wielders are chosen with careful consideration as to who they are as a person," Tikki continued, nodding at Plagg. "But that doesn't mean there hasn't been times when a wielder has gone bad, or when someone gets their hands on a Miraculous without being chosen. When that's happened, we've been strong enough to overcome them eventually and set things right. But there was always the risk that either mine or Plagg's charges might be corrupted. So in case that ever happened, there had to be a way for them to be defeated. Ladybug would only be unprotected against Chat Noir, and only Chat Noir would be vulnerable to Ladybug."

Adrien raised his head from his hands and looked between the two of them again with a frown.

"Why didn't this ever come up before?" he asked. "Ladybug and I have fought each other plenty of times in the past, whenever _I_ was the one to be possessed by an Akumatized villain. So why hasn't there been any damage till now?"

"Because Ladybug had never been aiming to hurt you," Tikki said. "You've fought, sure, but until tonight, Ladybug had never acted with violent intent. When the Puppet Master took her over, even if she hadn't been in her own mind, she still had every intention to take you out."

Adrien closed his eyes and sighed wearily, dropping his face to his hands once again. He thought back to how Ladybug had attacked him. He could still hear that cruel, sickening laugh echoing between her and the Puppet Master.

"And how was I able to cleanse that Akuma?" he inquired, grasping at anything for a distraction from the horrors that were flooding his mind.

"We usually never let Plagg or his charges take that on," said Tikki quietly. "When the darkness is cleansed through my Miraculous, my charge and I are able to release luck and positive energy back into the world to counter the evil's effect. But… Plagg's miraculous was not made for that."

Adrien opened his eyes to regard her over his fingers, and saw her shoot a mournful look over at Plagg, who was still curled in a tight ball, avoiding their gazes.

"When Plagg and his Miraculous wielder have been forced to destroy an Akuma in the past," Tikki continued, "rather than cleansing the dark energy, it winds up getting absorbed into the Miraculous. A-and that always ends up doing harm to both Plagg and to you, as the wielder."

"Don't be surprised if you have some nasty dark thoughts and nightmares for the next long while," Plagg grunted.

Reaching out to rub between Plagg's ears with his thumb in a show of solidarity, Adrien wondered just how much the darkness was already affecting the both of them right in that moment.

* * *

"I really shouldn't be surprised that you're still here."

A voice from the other side of Marinette's room pulled Adrien away from reliving his talk with the Kwamis, and brought him firmly back to the present. He allowed a small smile to grace his lips as he finally opened his eyes and looked around to see Dr. Montero leaning against the door frame, grinning kindly at him.

"Am I that predictable, then?" Adrien asked with a sigh.

"You _have_ been by her side for nearly every moment you possibly could for the last few days," she nodded. "I'm just surprised you haven't tried to sneak back in to see her in the middle of the night yet."

"It's kinda hard being anywhere else right now," he sighed, standing up to stretch a little, but still not letting go of Marinette's hand just yet. "I s'pose you're here to kick me out again, huh?"

"Well, you know the rules," she replied, shrugging apologetically. "Visiting hours were technically over nearly fifteen minutes ago, I just couldn't bring myself to make you leave when you looked like you were finally getting some well-deserved rest for once."

"I wasn't sleeping." Adrien gave Marinette's limp hand one last squeeze before finally releasing it and putting on his coat. "I was just thinking about stuff."

"Really?" Dr. Montero raised her eyebrows at him as he moved forward to stand with her near the door. "That's a shame. You look exhausted, you know."

"It's not exactly easy to sleep after… well," Adrien looked back at Marinette's still form one last time as the doctor dimmed the lights and led him out into the hallway, closing the door gently behind them.

"I understand, it's hard going through a trauma like this," she said as they made their way down the hall and to the lobby. "But you're really not helping anyone when you're two steps away from zombie status."

Adrien grunted his agreement, but kept his tired gaze trained carefully ahead of him, avoiding eye contact with her.

Dr. Montero had given him a similar talk every day since he'd brought Marinette in. While he agreed with her that he should absolutely get some sleep, _how_ was he supposed to explain that it was nearly impossible due to the horrifying nightmares brought on by residual dark magic that comes with his destroying an Akuma? Plagg and Tikki hadn't been joking when they said it would have a painful affect. Though at this point, he wasn't entirely sure he would be fairing much better even if he hadn't taken in that negative energy. With Marinette still trapped in her comatose state, he didn't exactly know where his own thoughts and feelings ended, and where the evil's influence began.

It was always the same; reliving the battle with the Puppet Master over and over again, hearing the villain chanting his twisted rhymes and cackling with glee as Adrien found that he couldn't fight back. Then it was watching Marinette fall to the ground broken, her eyes lifeless and dark. He could never reach her when this happened, though, for an army of writhing black shadows would always emerge from the corners of his vision and attack him, stabbing into his heart and taking him over as a weapon to be used by Hawkmoth. The first time he experienced these terrors, he had woken up in the middle of the night screaming. The visions had felt so real, he could still almost feel the aching sting where those shadows pierced him.

Of course, he would never say any of this to the doctor, who was now looking sideways at him with concern.

"I'll do my best to get some sleep tonight," he said, trying to sound sincere through the lie, and pushing the small _'Down'_ button once they reached the elevator. "Maybe I'll drink some calming tea or something."

"Chamomile and lavender," she said, nodding seriously and giving him a relieved smile as the metal doors pulled open and he stepped inside. "Those are always good relaxing ones."

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied. "And you'll call as soon as anything happens with Marinette?" he asked, for the umpteenth time.

"You know you'll be one of the first to know," the doctor promised with a reassuring nod, as she had every time he'd asked.

"Thank you," he sighed, pulling one last strained smile as she waved goodbye. Once the doors slid shut, his face melted back into a weary frown once again.

"So, we gonna stand watch again tonight?" came Plagg's voice.

Adrien looked down as the Kwami leaned out of his jacket pocket to look up at him. He sounded just as worn out as Adrien felt.

"Yeah," Adrien nodded, and the Kwami sighed.

"Fine."

The corner of Adrien's mouth twitched at Plagg's display of irritation.

Every night since the incident, he had been running patrol across the city, looking for any signs of Hawkmoth, before taking up post across the street from the hospital. It gave him something to do, and let him feel a small bit of reassurance that if Marinette's condition changed, for better or worse, he would be right there for her in an instant.

Plagg liked to grumble about it, but Adrien could tell that he was grateful for this routine. Neither of them had been able to shake the effects of the Akuma's dark energy, and though the Kwami didn't talk about it much, Adrien knew Plagg was having nightmares the same as he was, and any excuse to avoid sleeping was welcome. Plus, Tikki had refused to leave her girl's side for any reason since that first night, and Adrien could tell it made Plagg a little uneasy to have his partner so potentially exposed.

Their patrol didn't take very long this time.

Adrien was certainly not impervious to the exhaustion that came from so little sleep, even when his strength joined with Plagg's. He hadn't even made it to the city's outer ring by the time he decided to circle back, his breath coming out in ragged gasps, and his muscles shaking.

Gingerly, he made his way partially down the side of a building that lay across the street from the hospital to sit under the roof's narrow overhang, shielding himself a little from the rain. He tentatively stretched his tired limbs, being careful not to tear open the still-healing gashes.

From this vantage point, Adrien could clearly see the foot of Marinette's bed, as well as the orderlies who would come and check on her every half hour or so. He was grateful for the chill that hung in the air around him, preventing him from getting comfortable enough to accidently fall asleep.

The nights he'd spent posted out there had allowed him ample time to come to terms with Marinette and Ladybug being one and the same. Honestly, he felt so stupid for not having seen it earlier. Of _course_ it was her! Ladybug was one of the strongest, bravest, most beautiful people Adrien had ever known. She was creative and funny, and had always been his closest friend. And Marinette was all these things as well, and more. She was so, _so_ much more. She had been his very _first_ true friend.

 _'Of course,'_ he smiled wryly to himself for the dozenth time as he thought about all this. _'Of course I would fall for the same girl twice. How could I not? Just my luck that she would never love me back, right?'_

His mind flashed back to the moment he had asked her out. Her reaction had torn at his heart more than he could've expected. He'd thought of asking Tikki about it, but ultimately had chosen not to. If Marinette didn't want to, that was her choice. And no matter how strong his feelings were for her, he would always respect her wishes. Even if it meant keeping his distance from her. The thought of having to keep further away from her as either Ladybug or Marinette made him ache with sadness. He honestly had no idea how she felt about him being Chat Noir. He supposed it was no use worrying about it all, as the only way he would find out was if she ever woke up.

 _'WHEN she wakes up,'_ he caught himself angrily. He shifted his position a little, trying to ease some of the painful pressure that had been building along his injured collar bone the longer he sat there.

She had always kept up careful distances and boundaries when he was Chat Noir, so why should her relationship with him as Adrien be any different?

The hours he sat up there passed slowly, and after a time, he began to wonder just how late it was getting. He was vaguely aware that Alya and Nino had gone over for dinner with Marinette's parent's that evening. They had been insistent that he should join them, but whether it was the residual effects of the Akuma or just that he was too tired, he had declined with the excuse that he had to work late.

In truth, he hadn't been to work at all that week. He'd carefully been avoiding the calls from his father's office. Every time he even considered going back to his usual life, it had seemed so dauntingly exhausting that he'd simply chosen to take a break from it all. How long that break was to last, well…

Finally, Chat Noir stood up from his perch, shivering slightly as he tried to keep his back to the rain. Taking his staff out, he launched himself up over the rooftops in the direction of home. Nino would probably already be asleep, so he resolved to keep the noise of his arrival down.

Coming to the block where his apartment stood, however, he quickly dropped down to the ground between two buildings and looked at the street in front of his building's entrance with a frown. There was a shiny gray car parked just outside it that he recognized all too well.

 _'What on earth is my father doing here?'_ he thought as he detransformed.

"Hide, Plagg," Adrien murmured, and with a nod, his Kwami shot inside his jacket.

With a resigned sigh, he hurried up the block. The Gorilla was sitting in the cars driver's seat, and Adrien shot him a small nod and a wave as he hurried through the entrance doors. His shoes sloshed a little with rainwater as he climbed up the flights of stairs to find his father leaning against the railing on the landing outside his apartment, his dark coat folded neatly over his arm, and an umbrella hooked on his wrist.

Gabriel turned to face him as he ascended the last few steps.

"You look terrible," he said, a slight frown creasing his usually impassive face.

Adrien shrugged and nodded, sure that he probably looked a little worse for wear.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Looking strangely unsure, his father opened his mouth, hesitated, closed it again, then sighed.

"I'm here because I was worried about you," Gabriel said, and Adrien's eyes widened a little in astonishment as his father continued. "You haven't been in to the office all week, haven't been returning any of my calls–"

"Any of your assistant's calls," Adrien corrected sharply before he could catch himself.

He felt a small swell of regret for speaking like that, but chose not to say anything more; he was far too tired to play his father's obedient son just then.

Gabriel regarded him with an unreadable expression for a moment before nodding, allowing Adrien's quip to slide.

"I heard what happened to Miss Dupain-Cheng," he continued. "How is she?"

"She still hasn't woken up," said Adrien warily.

He was well aware of how his father felt about her, and if he was just there to tell him to get over it, Adrien would have none of it.

"I'm very sorry to hear that," Gabriel said in a low voice, his stony demeanor slipping as he frowned and shook his head, looking at the ground. "Her getting hurt like that… It should never have happened."

"Hawkmoth needs to pay for everything he has done," Adrien exclaimed, his fists clenching involuntarily, unable to help the steely edge in his voice as he thought about the monster that had hurt his friend and partner. "With any luck, he will be found soon enough."

"You think so?" Gabriel asked, a strange note in his voice.

Adrien looked up at his father in time to see a myriad of expressions flash across his face, none of which he could make sense of.

"All of Paris is searching for him now, not just Ladybug and Chat Noir," Adrien continued. "It's only a matter of time before he's found out, isn't it?"

"Perhaps…" Gabriel nodded slowly. "Well, I suppose we'll just have to wait and see. These are certainly interesting times we live in."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Adrien shifted his weight and crossed his arms over his chest as he looked at his father.

"Are you going to be telling me now that I need to come back to work?" he said shortly, raising an eyebrow."

"Not exactly," Gabriel tilted his head to the side as he regarded Adrien thoughtfully.

Adrien looked at his father in surprise. That was not at all what he had been expecting.

"When your mother… disappeared," Gabriel continued with a sigh, "I let myself get wrapped up in my work. I became acutely obsessed with success, and… well, it seems I focused on the wrong things, neglecting… other important parts of my life."

Adrien stared, too stunned to respond, or even move.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is… I know what it is like to go through pain around a loved one, and I am simply trying to advise you to do what you need to do to take care of yourself. If you need the time off from work, then take it. But do not let this consume you. Learn to live with things. I didn't do a very good job of that, and I do not want you to make similar mistakes."

Adrien opened his mouth, but could not come up with anything to respond with. Closing it again, he simply nodded.

Gabriel straightened up off the railing, donned his jacket, and nodded in farewell. Descending the first few stairs he paused and glanced over his shoulder.

"Please do try to get some proper rest, Adrien. You look like you haven't slept in days."

Adrien watched his father until he was out of sight before letting out a sharp breath. _That_ was perhaps the last conversation he'd expected to have that night. Or any night, for that matter.

Quietly as he could, Adrien entered his apartment, locking the door behind him with a snap. He grabbed a small chunk of Gouda from the fridge, then moved silently passed Nino's room, hearing a soft snore coming from his friend before entering his own room and closing that door behind himself as well.

Adrien removed his jacket and tossed it lightly over his desk chair, then slumped down onto the side of his bed, and buried his face in his hands.

"You ok?" he heard Plagg ask softly.

Looking up he saw that the Kwami had crawled out of his discarded jacket pocket to retrieve the cheese and was looking at him with sad, weary eyes.

"Hm," Adrien shrugged, unable to think of anything to say.

Plagg regarded him thoughtfully, and with a short nod of understanding, he drifted to the head of the bed and curled up into the nook of one of Adrien's pillows.

Adrien breathed in slowly, then let out a deep sigh, rubbing his tired eyes before trailing his hands down the rest of his face and letting them settle in his lap. For a moment, it was all he could do to stare out his window at the darkening sky, watching as heavy raindrops pounded relentlessly on the sill.

A flash of distant lightning lit up the night, searing momentarily into his retinas. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something reflect the shine, and looked over to see his camera sitting on the bedside table.

Slowly, Adrien leaned sideways onto the pillows as well, bringing his feet up onto the covers without bothering to remove his shoes. He reached out a hand and brought the camera closer to his face. Without really thinking, he turned it on and flipped through his recent photos until he landed on the video he had taken nearly a week ago.

After hesitating for a brief moment, he tapped the small play button.

A large room with a raised runway platform draped in dark, velvety blue hangings filled the screen.

 _"Are you ready?"_ someone called from off screen, and his breath hitched as he recognized Marinette's voice.

 _"Go for it, Mar!"_ he heard himself call to her, and then suddenly there she was, gliding towards him in her breathtaking dress that made her look like a walking sunrise.

Adrien's fingers shook as he clenched the camera tighter, watching her soft, familiar smile move from shy embarrassment to a perfect vision of confidence and beauty. He watched her pose right before him, flashing him a grin before turning on her heel to saunter back up the runway.

 _"Well? How does it look?"_ she said, turning back to face him one last time before the video cut off.

Letting out a shaky breath, Adrien felt hot tears running down his cheeks. He quickly brought the heel of his hand up to wipe them away, but they did not stop flowing. A gasp raked through his body as he shook with the sobs he'd been holding back for so long.

"M-Marinette…" he breathed, choking a little and fumbling with his camera once again.

Selecting the _'Repeat'_ option and replaying the short clip, he curled up into a tight ball and cradled the camera gently to his stomach. Over and over again, he watched her traverse his way, drinking in the life in her eyes, clinging to the sound of her voice.

Setting the camera down, he continued listening to the audio as he pulled out his phone and quickly flipped to his Photos Folder. He swiped through the pictures until he landed on the ones taken the night he and Marinette had made dinner together. He gazed upon her pictures now, recalling how lovely she had looked that evening, how the twinkling lights hung above her in that market place had reflected in her bright blue eyes, how the snowflakes caught in her hair had looked like a crown of diamonds.

 _'I'm sorry,'_ he thought desperately, willing his silent feelings to reach her now, however they might. _'I-I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you, Marinette… Please, just come back… please be ok again… please… I'm sorry… please… please…_

 _'…Please…'_

* * *

An alarm suddenly rang out, piercing through the quiet.

Adrien's eyes snapped open and he sat up with a jolt, looking around wildly. His heart was pounding, and he was gasping for air as if he had just been sprinting. Blinking away the exhaustion, he gathered his bearings as the images from the nightmares dancing across his eyes began to fade out to the reality of his bedroom.

The cameral he held in his lap was turned off, the dead battery light blinking.

Next to him, amidst the mess of blankets, his phone's ringtone was going off, and the screen was flashing with an incoming call.

"Just another dream," he muttered, shaking his head to clear the horrors away, and realizing he must've fallen asleep some time ago.

The sky outside his window seemed to be a little lighter than before, though still gray and gloomy.

Figuring he'd gotten maybe at least four hours of sleep, Adrien fumbled around for his phone as the thing continued to ring incessantly, and heard Plagg let out a small grumble of irritation at it. Swiping to answer the call without even bothering to check the screen, he held it up to his ear.

"What?" he grunted, squeezing his eyes tight and reaching his free hand up to rub away the caky remains of his earlier tears away from his eyes.

 _"Is this the phone of Monsieur Adrien Agreste?"_ a strangely familiar woman's voice answered him.

"Yes, it is?" he replied, frowning.

 _"Monsieur Agreste, this is Dr. Montero from the hospi–"_

"What happened?!" he exclaimed, fully awake now as he jumped out of bed and began dashing around for his coat.

 _'Please no, please let her be alright!'_

 _"No, no! Don't worry everything is fine, nothing happened! A-actually, well something did happen, but that's–"_

"What? What is it?!"

He quickly scooped up Plagg, who was frowning blearily up at him, and tucked him unceremoniously into his coat pocket before preparing to dash across the hall and rouse Nino as well.

 _"You asked me to let you know the moment there was any change, right? Well, your friend Marinette has just woken up!"_

Adrien froze, his fist raised and ready to pound on his friend's bedroom door.

"She… s-she what?" he said blankly, his heart pounding as he remained motionless, completely terrified that he must've misheard the doctor.

She let out a bubbly laugh before repeating her words.

 _"_ _She's awake!"_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

A rolling rumble of distant thunder sounded as the rain continued its relentless downpour on the city. Dawn had not yet arrived, and the streets of Paris were still devoid of its usual bustling activity.

Similarly, the halls of the hospital were also quite empty, but for the occasional nurse or doctor.

Exclamations of surprise mingled with the echo of their pounding footsteps on the linoleum as Adrien and Nino raced past them along the ICU wing. But to Adrien, the noise was all but drowned out over the drumming in his ears; it felt like his heart was about to burst through his ribcage.

 _"She's awake!"_

The words ran through his mind over and over again.

 _"She's awake! She's AWAKE!"_

A small part of him wouldn't even dare to hope it was true. He was so afraid that they would get there only to discover that it had all been some sort of cruel joke. But as they rounded the last corner, Adrien caught snatches of quiet laughter ringing from the open doorway to Marinette's room.

His stomach performed a sudden summersault, and he slowed down to a stop, letting Nino hurry past him.

"Mar-bear!" Adrien heard him shout, and a bright, wonderfully familiar peal of giggles reached his ears, making his breath hitch. Slowly, he stepped through the door and looked around to take in what was surely the most beautiful sight he had ever known.

Marinette, awake; still covered in bruises and bandages, but finally full of life and fire once again.

She was sitting up, helped by a mound of pillows propped behind her, and was laughing as Nino smothered her in hugs. Tom and Sabine were sitting in two of the chairs pulled up to the side of the bed, beaming.

"I'm so glad you're ok!" Nino cried, finally releasing her a little to step back.

"Thanks," Marinette mumbled, sounding drowsy. Her voice was hoarse from lack of use. "Me too, honestly."

Grinning sleepily, she looked around, and as her radiant blue eyes found Adrien's, her smile widened.

"Hi!" she greeted brightly.

"Hi," he breathed, feeling suddenly very unsure. She didn't _seem_ upset or angry with him at all… On the contrary, it looked like she was genuinely _happy_ to have him there.

Before he could do anything more, a squeal from the door made him jump, and someone brushed passed him in a flurry of wild red hair.

"Marinette!" Alya cried, throwing herself onto her friend.

Marinette let out a soft "Oof!" and Alya quickly settled in to sit on the bed beside her, squeezing her tightly while carefully avoiding messing up any of the IV's and wires.

"Don't you ever, ever, _ever_ do that to me again, girl!" Alya scolded, her eyes swimming. "Never, ever again! You hear?!"

"I love you too," Marinette chuckled wearily with a smirk.

Adrien watched them from his spot near the foot of the bed. The waves of relief coursing through him were a bit overwhelming, and he felt that if he said or did anything, they just might overflow.

"When exactly did you wake up, then?" Alya asked.

Marinette shrugged.

"A few hours ago, I think? Not sure… I'm still a little disoriented."

"She woke up around three this morning," Tom offered helpfully. "She kept falling asleep again, but apparently that's normal. This is the longest she's been alert."

"What was it like being in a coma?" Nino asked enthusiastically. "Is it true you could hear people talking to you and everything?"

"Hate to disappoint you, but no," Marinette snorted, leaning her head back against the pillows and rubbing her eyes with the heal of her hand. "I guess it was just like… I'm not sure how to describe it. It was like waking up from a really heavy sleep or something? When I came to at first, it was a crazy huge effort just to open my eyes. I dunno, it's weird."

"So the movies lied to me?!" Nino exclaimed, putting on an affronted expression.

"Right, because they would _never_ portray anything but one-hundred percent fact to their audiences," Alya jabbed, and Marinette let out a laugh.

For the next half hour or so, they all cheerfully filled Marinette in on all the different things that had happened while she had been unconscious. Marinette seemed constantly on the verge of falling asleep again, but stubbornly did her best to pay attention to what they were saying.

Too tired to participate much in the conversation, Adrien stayed mostly quiet in his corner, happily observing them all chatting and laughing as the rainy sky through the window lightened a little bit from the inky, rolling grey it had been when they'd arrived. Eventually the conversation turned to plans for Marinette's release and recovery.

"We've decided that once she gets cleared for release, Marinette should come and stay with us," Sabine said. "At least for a few days, so that there can always be someone around to make sure nothing bad happens and that she isn't left alone while she recovers."

"Mom, I'd be fine!" Marinette sighed, slightly exasperated. "I don't want to be a burden. Really, I don't need–"

"Mar, you were out cold for almost a week." Tom folded his arms and looked at her sternly. "You need to let people take care of you. If not for your sake, then at least for ours!"

"He's right," Nino agreed, nodding. "You're not doing this alone, as long as _we_ have anything to say about it."

Marinette blushed, her eyes shining as she looked around at her friends and family.

"I love you guys," she sighed, and Alya squeezed her shoulders a little tighter.

Catching Adrien's eye, she shot him a crooked smile. He returned it, pleased that for once, she wasn't being stubborn on the subject of her well-being. For his own sanity, he needed to be sure she was alright.

"Glad to see you're still up and at 'em," came Dr. Montero's voice, and Adrien turned to see her entering the room, grinning kindly at Marinette. "Feeling any different from earlier? Better? Worse?"

"Mm," Marinette shrugged wearily. "A little better, I guess? Still pretty sore and out of it."

"That's to be expected," Dr. Montero said, nodding. "You shouldn't push yourself. Take things easy, let yourself rest."

"Yes, because I haven't just slept for the last few days straight," Marinette said with a small smirk.

Nino let out a snort and Dr. Montero smiled.

"Unfortunately, being comatose is a little different from sleeping," she replied. "Your body went through a traumatic thing; you should be kind to it."

Marinette acknowledged her advice with a worn-out but grateful nod.

"I will."

Then, looking over at Tom and Sabine, Dr. Montero continued.

"I hate to tear you away from your daughter, but shall we go over a few things regarding the best way to approach recovery methods once she's good to be discharged?"

"Will you be alright, sweetie?" Sabine asked, turning to her daughter.

"I'm good, Mom," Marinette said. "I'm sure I'm about to fall asleep again in a little bit anyways. You guys go do what you need to do."

Her parents shot her encouraging smiles before getting up to follow the doctor out of the room.

"You know, I should probably head out now too," Nino said, a strange note in his voice. "I have to leave for London in a few hours for a UK tour, and there's a lot of stuff I need to pack and organize. Alya, my love, don't you need to get to class soon?"

Adrien looked confusedly at his friend, and saw Nino shoot him a quick smirk as Alya let out a huff.

"I have absolutely zero desire to go to class right now," she said, rolling her eyes. "Not when Ma–"

"Then you should totally come and help me pack my stuff up, if you're so free!" Nino quickly overrode her, widening his eyes as if trying to silently communicate something with her.

Alya raised an eyebrow at him before glancing at Adrien. Her mouth formed a small "O" as if she just caught on to something, and she quickly extricated herself from the bed.

"You know, you're entirely right," she said, picking up her purse, and shuffling towards the door as Nino got up to follow her triumphantly.

Adrien looked confusedly between the two of them, sure he was missing something, but his exhaustion-addled brain was too slow on the uptake to make heads or tails of his friends' behavior.

"Marinette, I'll be back again later today, ok?" Alya said, opening the door and grinning.

"You two have fun for now!" Nino called, and they quickly disappeared down the hall, the door slowly swinging shut again behind them.

With Alya and Nino gone, suddenly it was just Adrien left alone in the room with Marinette.

"They can be so weird sometimes," she snorted, rolling her eyes. She let out a small sigh, looking worn out but content.

"Tell me about it," Adrien agreed, shrugging and shaking his head.

Unsure of what else to say or do, he hesitated. Marinette looked at him curiously, and he saw a flash of confusion cross her face the longer he just stood there.

"You look completely exhausted," she said finally, smiling a little and gesturing towards one of the vacant chairs by her side.

He snorted, ducking his head as a grin tugged at his lips.

" _You're_ one to talk," he retorted, moving forward and taking the seat she'd indicated. "I'm not the one who just pulled out of a coma."

"And yet, I'm fairly certain that _I_ don't look _nearly_ as awful as you," she shot back, laughing. "Seriously, are you doing ok? You looked like you haven't slept in days."

"You're the one sitting in the hospital bed," he evaded with a small smile, shifting a little in his chair. "You don't get to worry about other people right now. I'm fine, _really,"_ he insisted when she opened her mouth to protest. "How are _you_ feeling?"

Marinette regarded him closely for a moment before sighing and sinking a little further into the pillows, shrugging.

"Hmm, super tired. And it's a little hard to focus on things. Like trying to read anything sort of makes my head swim. The doctors said that's normal, though, and it should pass after a while… Adrien are you _sure_ nothing is wrong?" she said, peering more closely at him in concern.

But before either of them could say another word, the door opened once again and a nurse walked into the room, smiling.

"How are we feeling, then?" he asked.

"Fine," Marinette replied, returning his smile as he came to stand beside her and check over the monitors.

"Good to hear it!" he said, writing a short scribble down. "Well, you'll be glad to know that everything is checking out nicely. We want to keep you here until tomorrow evening, though, just to make sure all the scans come back clean and there is nothing else we need to be concerned about. In the meantime, why don't we get you out of some of these bandages and see how you're healing up?"

Marinette nodded resolutely, absently twitching the toes of her injured foot.

Adrien watched as the nurse put down his clipboard and began gently unwrapping the bandages from around her head. Slowly, the mottled green and purple contusion revealed itself, until finally he could see the glint of several stitches trailing into her hairline.

"Does it look… bad?" she asked him, watching his reaction and raising her hand to gingerly trail a finger along the cut.

"Just the bruising," Adrien said honestly, giving her a half smile. "The cut itself is mostly hidden. I'm sure once it heals up, you'll have to look pretty hard to see anything there."

Marinette nodded, looking a little relieved.

"Since it's been five days already, you don't have to worry too much about getting your stitches wet," the nurse said, gathering up the bandages and preparing to dispose them. "You'll need to come back to get it checked out in about a week to be sure it's all still healing nicely and to get them taken out. Now, how is the memory loss issue?"

Adrien stiffened.

"What memory loss?" he asked quickly, looking between the two of them.

"I actually can't remember anything that happened," Marinette replied, shrugging her shoulders. "They told me I was caught in an Akuma attack, but I don't know much more than that."

Absentmindedly, she raised a had to one of her earrings.

Adrien stared at her, suddenly feeling cold with shock.

"You… you don't remember…?"

"I mean everyone tried to fill me in on as much as they could. Mom and Dad told me I got one of the top three winning slots at the Gala, though! How crazy is that!"

"Y-you don't remember… _anything_ , then?" he insisted, working to keep his voice steady.

"Um… I'm not sure…" she said, scrunching up her face into a frown as she thought. "Did we go to a karaoke bar at some point recently? Because I sort of remember singing with Alya and Nino – Adrien? What's wrong?"

Marinette gave him a confused look as he suddenly stood up, avoiding her gaze.

"I have to go," he said flatly, his heart pounding as he balled his hands into fists to stop their shaking. "I'm sorry, I just remembered I have this thing… Work… I shouldn't have… I have to go."

Without another word, Adrien strode out of the room. His breath caught in his throat when she called after him, but he didn't turn back. He hurried down the hall, expressing a quick goodbye to Tom and Sabine as they returned from the other direction with Dr. Montero, and bolted into the stairwell.

"What the heck are you doing?" Plagg demanded, flying out of Adrien's pocket to hover in front of his face. "She's finally awake! Why didn't we stay?"

Adrien grunted, avoiding Plagg's gaze, and tried to side-step around him.

Plagg shot forward, blocking his path.

"I… It's complicated," Adrien said evasively.

Again, he tried to continue down the stairs, and again Plagg didn't let him.

"Uh-huh," Plagg jabbed, rolling his eyes. "You acting like an idiot doesn't seem so complicated to me."

"She doesn't remember!" Adrien cried, his voice strangled. "She doesn't know about _any_ of it! I thought… maybe for a moment she might be ok with knowing the truth, ok with knowing who I am and with me knowing who she is. But I never even _once_ imagined that she would _f_ _orget everything!"_

"So you ran away?!" Plagg exclaimed irritably, frowning and crossing his arms.

"I _panicked!_ " Adrien shouted back, flinging his arms up in defeat.

Running his hands through his hair, he began pacing.

"What was I supposed to do?! I know the truth about who _she_ is, but she doesn't know it's _me!_ And I found out by accident! Not from her trusting me and telling me herself! I have absolutely no idea how she would've felt if she _did_ remember, but let me tell you, she didn't exactly look thrilled about it before she got _launched_ into a _building_ by that damn Akuma!"

"She was in shock!" Plagg interrupted. "You both were, stupid!"

But Adrien was too far into his rant, and didn't seem to hear him.

"And how the hell am I supposed to act normal around her _now_ , huh?! So yes, I ran away _because I have no idea what the hell I'm supposed to do!"_

Plagg watched him walk frantically back and forth, his expression growing exasperated.

"What happened to just telling her the truth?" he shot back.

"Ha!" Adrien barked humorlessly, stopping his incessant pacing to pinch the bridge of his nose, frowning. "I'm sure _that_ would go over _so_ well. 'Hey Marinette! I know you just lost a week of your life being stuck in a coma, but I just wanted to let you know that I know your secret identity that you've been guarding so closely for nearly a decade now! Oh! Also, I'm Chat Noir and because of my idiotically slow reaction to save you, it's pretty much my fault that you landed here in the first place!'"

Adrien finally paused to gulp down a breath of air. Feeling like his exhaustion was suddenly hitting him again at full force, he slumped against the wall and wearily stared down at his feet.

"I love her, Plagg," he said in a small voice. "I love her with all my heart, but with this on top of everything, I just... I don't have a clue how I'm supposed to act around her now. I know she deserves the truth, but... where do I even begin?"

"You're going to have to resolve all this eventually, you know," Plagg said, landing on his boy's shoulder. "You can't avoid it forever."

"I know," Adrien sighed. "I just... I can't. Not yet."

"You might not have a choice," Plagg sighed, as Adrien resignedly pushed off from the wall and continued his way down the stairs.

* * *

"Adrien is avoiding me, Tikki."

Marinette slumped face down onto her old bed, disregarding her crutches on the floor below the loft.

She had just gotten officially released from the hospital an hour earlier and was settling back into her home above the bakery. Having just finished dinner, she'd changed into a clean pair of sweats and an old tank top.

Her parents were busy downstairs, preparing an order of delicately embossed cupcakes to compliment a smaller wedding cake, which was to be picked up the next morning.

The last day and a half she had spent mostly sleeping, broken up with visits from Alya and Nino, Meesh, and a handful of other friends from school who stopped by to wish her well. She hadn't had many private opportunities to talk to Tikki, who was now busy soaring around the room, enjoying a little freedom.

"I feel like I am completely missing something," Marinette continued, her voice a little muffled as she spoke into her comforter. "He seemed so weird and out of it yesterday… I want to talk to him!"

"I'm sure he has _some_ reason for… whatever that was," Tikki said, coming to land on the bed beside her girl.

Marinette turned her head to the side to look at her. Tikki didn't seem to be sharing her confusion, so much as holding back irritation. Marinette didn't understand her reaction, but simply rolled onto her side, curling her knees up to her chest and gingerly avoiding putting too much weight on her injured foot.

"I've texted him a dozen times now, I've called him twice… I just want to know what's going on! If it's something _I_ did, then–"

"I don't think it's anything _you_ did," Tikki interjected.

"How could it _not_ be?!" Marinette insisted. "I mean I have no idea what it could be! We were getting along fine, just like normal, and then _bam_ he just splits?"

Taking in a deep breath, Marinette let out a long sigh, then reached a hand up to massage her temples. Trying to discern what could be going on with Adrien was making her head hurt a little, though she doubted it was anything to do with her injury. This sort of stress-based headache was thankfully all too familiar.

"I think I should go try to find him tomorrow," she said absently, and Tikki looked around at her. "I need to see him face to face, figure out what's going on. I don't want to just keep sitting here and waiting for something to happen.

"Yes!" Tikki said, nodding enthusiastically. "You should definitely go talk to him!"

"Thanks for having my back," Marinette said, stifling a yawn.

It still came as a surprise to her how absolutely exhausted she was. She was certainly more alert and felt stronger than when she had first woken up, but the feeling that she had just run a marathon still hung on every muscle of her body, and it seemed like she had a constant veil over her mind. Like there were so many thoughts and images that stayed just _barely_ beyond her reach, no matter how hard she tried to grab at them.

"On a, uh… _different_ note, have you gotten any more of your memories back?" Tikki asked, moving a little to settle into the fluffier part of one of Marinette's pillows.

"Bits and pieces," Marinette said, a slight crease forming between her eyebrows as she frowned thoughtfully. "I actually remember most of our karaoke night now… I can _sort of_ get pictures of the Gala. And I think I remember meeting up with Chat for... something? I'm not sure, I just keep getting a really uneasy feeling whenever I think about it. Like a sort of twisting, nervous energy in my gut… I dunno, it doesn't really make any sense."

"You're doing so well!" Tikki encouraged, leaning off her pillow a little to pat Marinette's head. "I know it's hard, but don't give up, ok?"

"I'm trying," Marinette sighed, just as the hatch door below opened, and her mother appeared, carrying a cup of tea.

Tikki dove out of sight as Sabine climbed the steps up to Marinette's bed and sat down next to her.

"How are you feeling, sweetie?" Sabine asked, offering her the cup.

"Fine," Marinette said, sitting up a little to take it, and inhaling a sweet, flowery aroma. "Still just trying to remember my missing time."

"Don't push yourself too hard, love," Sabine said, gently reaching out to rub Marinette's knee.

Marinette nodded, taking a sip of her drink.

"This is a new one," she said, surprised that her mother didn't bring her go-to, white jasmine and chamomile. "It's good!"

"Rhodiola rosea," her mother said, nodding.

"Excuse me?"

"It's supposed to help enhance memory, among other things." Sabine smiled. "I thought it would be appropriate for you right now. I mixed it in with some lavender and a little honey to make it taste better."

"Thanks Mom," Marinette said gratefully, leaning forward to give her a one-armed hug, careful not to spill anything. Her mother wrapped her up and for a moment Marinette stayed there, enjoying the familiar comfort her mother offered. "I'm glad I'm here," she sighed into her shoulder.

"I am too, sweetie," Sabine said, giving her another squeeze before pulling back a little to cup her daughter's cheek in her hand. "We've missed having you around. It's been a pretty hard few days for us all."

"I'm sorry," Marinette said, leaning in to the touch, her heart aching at the thought of what she must have put her parents through.

"It's not your fault," Sabine shook her head. "We are just thankful that you pulled out of it alright."

"How are things going in the bakery?"

"Well enough. Your father is waiting to take the last round of cupcakes out of the oven to cool before we can finish the order for the night."

"Could I help?" Marinette offered, taking another sip.

"You can help with things tomorrow, if you want," Sabine said gently. "For now, just worry about yourself and get rested up."

"Kay," Marinette nodded.

"Do you want one of us to come wake you in the morning?" Sabine asked.

Marinette thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"I'll come down to breakfast when I'm ready. Otherwise I just want to sleep in."

"Ok," Sabine leaned forward to kiss her daughter on the forehead. "Sweet dreams, honey."

"Love you, Mom," Marinette sighed, settling back into her pillows as Sabine made her way down the steps.

"Love you too," her mother called, quietly closing the trap door behind her.

"I wish I could talk to Chat Noir," Marinette said after a moment, taking another sip of tea as Tikki came back out into the open. "I still don't really understand what you said about him cleansing the Akuma himself, but I don't like the thought of him holding onto all that pent up negativity."

"Then we should go find him!" Tikki said enthusiastically. "I'm sure he has _a lot_ to tell you about the last few days!"

Marinette raised an eyebrow at the Kwami's sudden excitement. The idea was thoroughly tempting, but the longer she considered it, the stronger the pounding in her head became. She glanced down at her injured foot, before settling back into her pillows.

"I'll give it a rest for tonight," she said. "I really shouldn't push it."

"I suppose you're right," Tikki said, also glancing down at the foot of the bed as if just remembering the fact that her girl was, for the time being, unable to get around much on her own. A disappointed look crossed her face.

"You feeling antsy without transforming for so long?" Marinette asked, smiling as she saw Tikki's expression.

"Something like that," Tikki shrugged, gliding over to rest on her girl's shoulder and nuzzle her cheek.

"We'll be up and running again soon enough," Marinette said, downing the last bit of tea, and leaning over to set the cup down and flip the light switch, plunging the room into a soft, dark light. In spite of the relentless headache, she could already feel the calming effects of the lavender sweeping over her. "For now, it's all about a proper recovery."

"Goodnight, Marinette," Tikki said softly, returning to her pillow.

"G'night," Marinette yawned, settling under her fluffy comforter and closing her eyes.

The rain pattered on the window above her, and distant sounds of thunder rolled through the city.

With the storm raging outside, Marinette felt absurdly comfortable in the warmth of her bed. Her breathing slowed to a steady rhythm, and slowly her muscles relaxed as waves of sleep flowed gently over her, caressing her mind and welcoming her into the realm of dreams. Gradually, she became less aware of her surroundings, and one by one, a series of strange images danced across her mind.

 _A grey, chilly day of event preparation, marred by lingering nightmares and unrealized terrors…_

 _A golden, glowing ballroom… Adrien kneeling beside her and offering encouragement and comfort…_

 _Mathis, pale and angry as his plans of sabotage are thwarted…_

 _A garden, filled with sparkling lights and richly dressed people… The thundering of applause as she watched dress after dress float down a runway, her own designs creating a living watercolor painting…_

 _Adrien, standing before her in a hallway, looking confused and heartbroken… The violent aching in her own heart…_

Marinette groaned, stirring in her sleep.

 _An explosion…_

 _An Akuma, floating through the air after her, cackling with sickening glee… Her own father, charging at her…_

 _Chat Noir, diving in front of her…_

 _Snow swirling cold and wet around her as they battled the villain, just as they had done so many times before…_

 _Pain. Blinding, unimaginable, unbearable pain lancing through every nerve of her body… An empty, hollow blackness, then…_

 _Chat Noir, standing frozen in front of her, a tattoo peeking through the bloody gashes along his arm…_

With a gasp, Marinette's eyes flew open.

Disoriented, she stared ahead of her in shock, trying desperately to see through the darkness. As her eyes adjusted, she saw Tikki sitting in front of her face, comfortingly stroking her bangs away from her forehead, where beads of cold sweat had formed.

"What did you see?" she asked, as Marinette sat up, reaching a hand up to her throbbing head.

"I-I saw…"

Chills running over her skin, Marinette took in several shuddering breaths, hardly daring to believe the many pictures that had just raced across her vision.

"The Akuma… Mathis was the Puppet master, and he–" her trembling fingers clenched at the blankets around her as she recalled the burning sting as the marionette chords had pierced into her flesh, consuming her being as she helpless fought their control.

Marinette whipped around to look at Tikki, her heart pounding as panic shot through her.

The Kwami was regarding her with a strange mixture of pride and deep sympathy.

"Chat…. Chat Noir, I s-saw… his tattoo…" Marinette's eyes widened in realization, comprehending exactly what she saw. "The cat tattoo… _Adrien's tattoo…_ I saw it, and then…"

"You're remembering, Marinette," Tikki said, offering a small smile of comfort.

"R-remembering?" Marinette asked blankly, before a shudder ran through her body. "I'm _remembering?_ Those were _memories?!"_

Tikki nodded at her solemnly.

"You're remembering your missing time."

"You _knew?!"_ Marinette exclaimed, her voice rising higher with growing alarm. "Y-you _knew_ that I… that he… _Why didn't you TELL me?!"_

"I wanted to!" Tikki cried, frantically rising into the air to hover in front of Marinette's face, twisting her hands together worriedly. "I'm so, so sorry! I wanted to tell you _everything!_ And that was the plan! But then Adrien bolted, and I had no idea what was going through his head, so I thought it would be best to figure that out first! And just flat out telling you everything the moment you woke up from that coma… I was so worried it would be too much to dump on you right then and there! I'm sorry Marinette! I really, _really_ am!"

Marinette buried her face in her hands, vaguely aware that her headache was starting to subside.

"I just… I can't _believe_ … that I didn't… that _he_ is…"

 _'Adrien is… and Chat Noir… Then that means the man I've loved… All this time… My partner… My best friend…?!"_

Her head snapped up, adrenaline coursing through her.

"I have to talk to him."

"But what about your foot–"

"I have to talk to him _now!"_ Marinette interjected.

Without wasting another moment, she leapt up to unlatch the window above her. In a flash of bright light, Ladybug was tearing across Paris, furiously ignoring the rain soaking her skin, as well as the sharp protest of pain coming from her right ankle. A ringing filled her ears as she flung her yo-yo out in front of her and soared through the night between buildings, her mind racing with a myriad of barely coherent thoughts.

 _'It's him… It's HIM… I can't even… how could I have been so stupid?!'_

It didn't take long for her to reach Adrien's apartment building.

Swinging up to it, her breath hitched as she saw that the living room light had just turned off. Landing with a splash on the narrow balcony outside the wide window, she stumbled on her weakened foot and fell hard against the glass. Looking up and peering into the dark room, movement caught her eye.

Adrien stood just outside the door to his room. He was nicely dressed, as if he had just gotten back from work. Turning at the sound of her arrival, he stopped in his tracks, staring at her.

Ladybug gazed blankly back at him, suddenly very unsure of what to do.

Seeming to shaking himself a little, Adrien dashed across the room, leaping over the low coffee table to throw open the door.

"Ladybug?!" he exclaimed, gaping open-mouthed as he stepped out onto the ledge with her, becoming soaked by the rain almost instantly.

She pushed herself away from the window, shaking.

He glanced down at her ankle, and a flash of concern crossed his shocked expression.

"What are you doing here? You're hurt! You shouldn't be walking around like–"

"Chat Noir?" she interjected in a low whisper, and he froze, his emerald eyes going wide as she continued. "It's you… isn't it? That wasn't just a dream… I _remember_ …. It's _you…_ "

Her gaze flashed to his left arm. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, and the cat tattoo was plainly visible.

"You remember…?" he breathed, and she nodded.

"I do… But… _Why_ didn't you say anything?" Her voice shook as she stared at him. " _You_ knew! You knew this whole time, and you just… _ran?!"_

"I didn't know what I was supposed to do!" he cried, flinging his hands up into the air desperately, a pleading expression on his face.

Ladybug blinked in surprise, closing her mouth as she watched him frantically struggle for words.

"Y-you were just in a _coma_ _!_ How w-was _I_ supposed to know that you wouldn't remember anything that happened?! The whole time you were unconscious, laying in that hospital bed, I had _no idea_ if you would ever wake up, and that _terrified_ me! I thought I lost you, and it was all my fault because I couldn't protect you! And then, after waiting for _so long,_ I get the call saying you're awake, and I was able to hope against hope that you might forgive me! I knew you'd be angry that I let you down and that I knew your identity without you telling me out of trust, but _maybe_ we could have talked about it and worked things out! But _no!_ That wasn't what happened at _all_ , because it had all been erased from your mind! And suddenly I had to act _normal_ around you, even though I knew the full truth? How was I supposed to even go about that?! So, yeah! I _ran_ because the woman I love didn't even _remember_ me!" He broke off finally, taking in a deep breath.

Ladybug was paralyzed in shock, his words echoing through her head.

"Th-the woman you… _love?"_ she repeated.

Adrien went rigid, staring at her, his eyes wide as he realized what he just said.

"I-I mean," he stammered, looking anywhere but at her. "That's n-not what I… I mean, I didn't…"

"Well, looks like the cat's out of the bag," came another voice, and Ladybug saw a small black Kwami with bright green eyes and pointed ears appear over Adrien's shoulder.

Before she could think to say another word, there was a sudden flash of dazzling light, and she felt her transformation release.

"Tikki!" she exclaimed, staring open-mouthed at her Kwami as she flew over past Adrien.

"I'm sorry, Marinette!" she called over the pounding of droplets hitting the building around them as the two of them floated in the doorway. "This is between you and him, and you shouldn't be hiding behind a mask while you do this!"

The Kwamis disappeared inside, leaving Marinette stuttering after them indignantly.

Adrien watched her sheepishly, raising a hand up to scratch the back of his neck.

"I'm sorry," he said finally. "I shouldn't have said that. I know you don't want that, and I would never want to make you feel uncomfortable or force you or anything."

Marinette stared at him before the realization of what he was say hit her.

"Y-you think I don't _want_ to be with you?" she said.

Adrien shrugged, looking down at his feet.

"I asked you out, and you practically screamed 'no,'" he said with a sigh. "You made your feelings pretty clear–"

"I was _scared!_ " Marinette cried, her hands flying up to her cheeks as she recalled perfectly how she had reacted.

Adrien's head snapped up as he gazed at her incredulously.

"Adrien, I… I was so scared of _losing_ you! I already lost one person dear to me because I couldn't tell them the truth about who I was, and the thought of getting closer to you only to have you be driven away because I could never be fully _me_ around you… I just… I couldn't _bear_ the thought of it! And even if I _did_ tell you, that would be putting you in so much danger! You would have become a target! A-and I… I could never live with myself if something happened to you because of m-me."

Marinette's voice broke, and she felt hot, prickling tears begin to flow.

Adrien gaped at her, his mouth hanging open.

"You say you love me?" she said, burying her face in her hands. "Adrien, I've loved you for _years_. Both parts of you, now that I think about it…"

She let out a sigh, unsure of what else to say. How do you even begin to follow up with the right words after pouring your heart out to someone?

" _That's_ why you were always so nervous around me!" he said, and Marinette let out a strangled noise, utterly embarrassed.

"Yeah, pretty much," she replied, her words muffled through her hands.

"Well, then… Aren't _we_ just a perfect pair of idiots," Adrien said finally, his voice hoarse. "We spend half our lives around each other without ever realizing the truth, and it takes a teary midnight confession in the rain for us to finally be honest."

Letting out a choked laugh at the absurdity of the situation, Marinette finally looked up at him to see the hope plain on his face, his eyes bright as he regarded her.

"I'm sorry," he continued. "I'm so sorry, for everything that's happened. I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you."

"It's not your fault any more than it is mine," she said, offering him a gentle smile, which he returned. "We both messed up. I let my own stubbornness get in the way of everything."

"And I was a blind fool who couldn't see what was right in front of him the whole time," he snorted, shaking his head.

Marinette took a step forward, reaching out to him, only to let out a cry of pain as she stumbled, the weight causing her ankle to buckle underneath her.

Adrien rushed forward, catching her before she fell. His arms wrapped around her, supporting her and allowing her to stand up a little straighter.

Pressed so closely to his chest, she felt her cheeks burn red instantly. She looked up at him as he regarded her in surprise.

For a long moment, his eyes bore into hers, and her heart thrummed hard against the inside of her chest.

Before she even realized it, her gaze drifted down to his mouth.

Adrien opened it a little with a look of revelation. Slowly, he lifted his hand up to gently stroke her cheek, brushing the tears from her eyes as they blended in to the rain droplets streaming down her face.

A tremble ran through her at his touch.

His thumb trailed softly down until it feathered across her lips. He leaned forward slightly, his breath warm and inviting against the cool of the night.

Without another thought of hesitation, Marinette raised her chin and closed the distance between them. She felt him stiffen a little against her body before falling into her with a small moan, his mouth soft but insistent against hers. His lips parted slightly, drawing hers open with the soft brush of his tongue, and she breathed him in, going weak with the sweetness of his taste.

She slid her arms up around his neck and knitted her fingers through his rain-soaked hair, pulling him closer even as he did the same.

Running his hands down her back, he wrapped her even tighter in his arms, lifting her feet off the ground.

It was everything she had ever dreamed about, and so, _so_ much more. Marinette melted into him, never wanting to let go. After all those years of waiting, of wondering, of longing, to finally hold him in her arms was like a great weight off her heart that she never realized was there.

Gasping, they finally broke apart.

Marinette felt like an electric current was running along her skin, and for a few seconds, it was all she could do to just breath.

Finally opening her eyes, she looked up at Adrien to see a dazed expression on his face. She let out a giggle, and he smiled, touching his forehead to hers and releasing a low, giddy laugh as well.

He set her gently back on the ground for a brief moment before leaning down to sweep her legs out from under her. She let out a laugh of surprise as he grinned at her, turning to move inside and out of the rain.

Closing the door behind them with his foot, he carried her over to the window bench, and settled down onto it, holding her on his lap. Bringing one foot up onto the cushion, he waited for her as she made herself comfortable, hanging both her legs over the bench's side as she put her back to the window. With a small, happy sigh she leaned her cheek onto his shoulder and placed her hand on his chest. He wrapped both his arms around her, and placed his chin on the top of her head.

She shivered a little from the rain water running off her skin in small streams, but Adrien was warm. Reaching behind her, he pulled a thick blanket over and wrapped it around her, running his hands up and down her arms and back to transfer some of that heat.

They said nothing more, content to just sit peacefully together, for the first time knowing their full selves. No more secrets. No more barriers. Only a calm, clear, loving understanding shared with each other. Marinette fought her fatigue as long as she could, never wanting the moment to end. But eventually, her breaths matched his in a slow, steady pace as the pair of them gently drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Adrien awoke to the sound of songbirds outside his window. He felt warm and heavy, but incredibly happy and well-rested. Slowly, he opened his eyes to gaze down at Marinette, still curled safely in his arms. Her dark lashes fluttered against her soft, rosy cheeks as her eyes moved beneath them to an unknown dream.

With a start, he realized that, for the first time in a week, he had somehow slept fully through the night without waking up in fear. For the first time in a week, the nightmares had not haunted him.

He let out a sharp exhale, hardly believing it to be true. But as he looked back down at Marinette, he felt sure that it had something to do with her comforting presence, and the light she carried inside her.

He still could hardly believe everything that had happened. When Ladybug had appeared outside his window the night before, it was as if a veil had been torn away. Like up till that moment, he had been looking at her through the haze of a misted window, but now that he knew the truth of who she was, the fog had lifted, and he could clearly see things in their true detail. Even though she had been wearing the mask, he could perfectly recognize Marinette beneath it.

Certainly, he assumed, it all had to do with some sort of complicated Miraculous magic.

Glancing around the apartment, he caught sight of Plagg and Tikki curled up around each other on one of the couch's pillows, and he grinned.

As gently as he could, he pulled Marinette closer, and she let out a small groan as she readjusted herself on top of him. Her lips formed into a small pout as she continued to sleep, and Adrien's heart felt fit to burst. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to kiss her again, and felt a giddiness stir up in him as he excitedly anticipated the moment when she would wake up so he could do just that.

His eyes drifted over the top of her head to observe the city scape. The rain had finally stopped, leaving everything covered in a layer of glistening droplets that shone dazzlingly in the pink light cresting over the buildings. Adrien sighed, more content and at peace than he could ever remember being.

Another smile pulled at his lips as he observed the brand new dawn that lay before him, thrilled beyond belief to discover whatever adventures the future held, with his best friend, his partner, and the love of his life right there to meet it all with him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Epilogue**

The early afternoon sun shone down from a clear blue sky, illuminating Paris with a bright, warm light that heralded the arrival of Spring. A cool breeze danced through the streets, collecting vibrant petals from the many flower vendors and tossing them into the air in a sweet ballet, as nature itself seemed to celebrate the end of the colder months. The trees of Place des Vosges, which had been bare only a few weeks earlier, were now bursting with young green leaves, giving the entire park a new life of its own.

Marinette grinned happily at the sight through her windows as fresh rays of light filled her old childhood bedroom, before she turned back to pinning the hem of Alya's wedding dress.

Ever since Nino's proposal to her bestie the Autumn before, Marinette had been deep into planning for their big day, spending much of her free time outside of school, work, and crime fighting to help bring their visions to life. Thankfully, her friends had decided to keep the actually bridal party head count at a minimum, so she only had to worry about making tailored clothes for the bride and groom, Alya's two sisters, Adrien, a couple of Nino's good buddies from the music industry, and herself of course.

Alya straightened up from Marinette's stereo as the sound of upbeat techno music mixed with a symphony of strings suddenly filled the room; not loud, but enough to drown out the steady sounds floating up from her parent's bakery downstairs.

"Is this one of Nino's new tracks?" Marinette asked as Alya made her way back over to the dress, grooving a little to the rhythm of the steady bass.

"Yeah, he finished this one and sent it to me just the other day," Alya nodded, gathering her hair up into a loose knot on top of her head and shrugging off her sweater to reveal a turquoise tank top underneath. "It's still exclusive from public ears, but he said he'd love to hear what you thought if I showed it to you."

"Tell him I'm honored," Marinette chuckled as she straightened up and looked around the lofty room.

It was filled to the brim with wedding magazine cut-outs, sketches, color and fabric swatches, and a number of hangers sporting the wedding party's attire. A divider screen ran through half the floor, usually separating the bridal gown and it's plans from the rest so that when Nino came around for fittings, he wouldn't be allowed to see it. At the moment, though, the dress had been pulled out from its hiding place for their afternoon's fitting.

"How's his Spring tour going? He just did Cape Town last night, right?"

"Yep!" Alya said, sitting down in Marinette's desk chair and pulling her feet up onto it. "He said it was beyond fun. Apparently they went out for drinks after the concert and ended up jamming with a few street performers for a smaller group of fans. He loved it, I think he's starting to miss his smaller gigs a little bit."

She had taken her phone out of her legging's inner pocket and held it out for Marinette to see some of Nino's latest Instagrams, featuring him and a couple members of his band surrounded by dozens of other people, all looking like they were having the time of their lives under a canopy of dazzling festival lights.

"Miss him?" Marinette asked, watching Alya pull her phone back to gaze fondly down at the screen.

"Yeah, I do," Alya sighed. "It was just sucky timing, me having to leave for Hong Kong the whole week before he had to leave, so now we haven't been together in almost a month. I'm _so_ ready to just move in with him already!"

Marinette felt a knot in her stomach tighten, reminded forcibly of how she'd no longer be living with her best friend, and of how she'd soon be staying with her parents once again.

"It'll be so great having him back, huh?" she said hurriedly, putting a smile on her face.

"For sure!" Alya's eyes widened with earnest as she nodded enthusiastically. "Sunday can't come soon enough! And I'm so excited for him to see all these clothes you've made for us be nearly finished."

"Well, at least we won't be worried about pressing the envelope too much," Marinette said as she finished inserting one last pin into the dress's train, and stood up to remove it from the mannequin. "I still can't believe June is only a month away, friend!"

"Right?" Alya exclaimed, hopping off her chair to step into the dress as Marinette held it open for her. "It feels like this year just flew by!"

"You can say _that_ again," agreed Marinette as thoughts of the last few hectic months flashed across her mind. "It's definitely been quite a… _wild_ ride."

As Alya slid her arms into the sleeves, Marinette did up the pearly buttons down her lower back and let her friend step forward to see herself in the mirror.

"Oh my goodness!" Alya's hands flew to her cheeks as she bounced up and down enthusiastically. "I just… Aah! I love it so much! It's so beautiful, Mar!"

Marinette grinned as she stepped to the mirror's side and watched Alya beam at her reflection, turning this way and that.

It really was a stunning gown. She and Alya had worked hard to come up with the best design, and Marinette was pleased to say that they had been quite successful. She liked to describe it as "Audrey Hepburn-esque" while Alya affectionately called it "Sexy AF."

The style itself was simple, but still entirely elegant; a nod to a sort of 1950's aesthetic, the ivory bodice was gently form-fitting. Three-quarter sleeves joined the boat-neck cut around her shoulders. When Alya turned, a honey-brown flash of skin revealed itself, as the dress's plunging backline added a modern flair. The dress's skirt flared out a bit, beginning around her hips, and ended just below her knees in the front. From there it flowed asymmetrically lower around the back to create a train that brushed a few inches of floor behind her, allowing for a peek-a-boo effect of the violet tulle that made up the dress's interior.

"Girl! I can't even believe that I get to wear something like this!" Alya spun in place, giggling like a child as the skirt's train flowed in a circle around her. "And _you_ made it! It's completely perfect!"

"Well, just about," Marinette said, stepping forward to check that the sleeves were matching lengths as Alya slowed to a stop. "Thankfully I don't think there's going to be too much change before our last fitting in three weeks, right?"

She shot her friend a smirk, and Alya scoffed.

"Oh, you know I hate all that crap about becoming a skinny stick for your wedding," Alya said, rolling her eyes and waving a hand dismissively. "If I have these curves, I'll keep loving them, and I sure as hell don't plan on hiding them on one of the biggest days of my life!"

"And for that I thank you!" Marinette laughed before continuing her fitting inspection. "It certainly makes _my_ job easier."

"Anything for you, dah-ling," Alya said in a posh voice before dissolving into another fit of giggles as she looked over the dress once again. "Thank you so, so much for doing all this. I am still in complete awe of it all. You are going to be _so_ amazing when you start that new job."

Marinette gave Alya's shoulders a light squeeze in response before finishing her inspection, saying nothing about the job she'd just been offered at a design firm that had just set up a location in Paris. She was certainly excited about the opportunities that lay there, but she'd be lying if she said she wasn't extremely nervous about it, too.

"It's been my absolute pleasure!" she said instead. "Plus, it was the perfect excuse to try my hand in the genre of wedding design, so now my portfolio will be looking better than ever."

"How close are the others' outfits?"

"Your sisters' dresses are pretty much complete, but I might make them come and try them on one more time to see if any small adjustments need to be made the week before the wedding. Adrien's is done. John and Antoine are done. Nino is about done, and I'll probably be finished up with him sometime next week; I just want to make sure of everything when he gets back."

"Sounds great. How about yours?" Alya looked over to where the bridesmaid dresses hung from the corner loft, all in varying shades of watercolor purples. They were shorter than Alya's, with off-the-shoulder necklines and cinched waists. Marinette had additionally given each one its own personal flair.

"I'm focusing on everyone else before mine, since I can always work on my own stuff faster, but that one is getting there as well," she replied just as her trapdoor opened.

Glancing over, the two girls saw Marinette's mother poke her head into the room. A fresh wave of pastry smells wafted up into the room with her.

"Oh, Alya!" Sabine exclaimed happily, her eyes widening as she sat down at the top of the stairs. "You look positively _radiant_ , honey!"

"Thank you!" Alya said, grinning broadly as she once again spun around. "I am so pleased!"

"How're things downstairs, Mom?" Marinette asked, gathering some of her supplies up into a bin and climbing the ladder up to her bed loft.

As she put her stuff down, she saw that Tikki was napping happily on one of her pillows. Marinette shot her a smile before descending to help Alya out of her dress.

"Things are just fine; the lunch rush ended a while ago. Edmund helped out a lot with that," her mother said, referring to the young man her parents hired a few months prior, when Marinette's school duties (among other things) stacked up so much that she was having trouble finding time to work the bakery. "Oh! And um… Adrien arrived a while ago."

Sabine grinned knowingly at Alya as Marinette looked up from arranging the dress on the mannequin once more.

"He did?" she asked in surprise, raising an eyebrow. "He told me he wouldn't be here till three! Why didn't he let me know he was here? He's welcome to come up…"

"He got a bit caught up talking to your father and I," Sabine countered gently. "And besides, I'm sure you and Alya enjoyed having a bit of girl time, right?"

"We did!" Alya said cheerily, helping Marinette wheel the mannequin out of sight behind the dividing screen once again. "We never get to hang out much anymore, with all four of us being so busy all the time."

"Ok, well I still need to get ready," Marinette grumbled, hurrying to fetch the coral summer dress she had brought with her from her and Alya's apartment. She just recently received it as a birthday present from Meesh, and was excited that the weather was finally warm enough to wear it.

Moving into her bathroom area, she stripped out of her yoga shorts and old high school t-shirt.

"I'm sure he is happy to wait a little bit longer, dear," Sabine called as Alya retrieved her belongings, patting her bag securely. "He and your father were still chatting away when I left them to check on you. I doubt they'll even have noticed how long it's been!"

"If you don't need my help, I can go buy you some time too, Mar-bear," Alya said, poking her head around the corner as Marinette slipped the dress on. "I kinda miss him anyways, it'll be nice to say hi."

"That'd be great, thank you," Marinette said with a smile before rummaging through her makeup drawer for some mascara and blush. "I won't be more than a few minutes!"

As Alya and her mother climbed out of her room, Marinette quickly ran a hand through her hair, checking her reflection in her mirror. It had been a few months since a particular Akuma battle had left her missing one of her classic Ladybug pigtails, and she'd cut her long hair into a short bob. She was pleased to see that it didn't look like a total mess after she'd been working on Alya's dress all night.

Out of habit, her fingers traced the hidden scar just beyond her hairline, remembering that fateful turn of events nearly a year and a half ago. So much had happened since then...

"Tikki!" she called softly up to her loft.

The little Kwami floated down, yawning as Marinette dusted her cheeks with a large, soft brush.

"How did the fitting go?" Tikki asked, rubbing some of the sleep out of her eyes. "Did she like the skirt alterations?"

"She loved it," Marinette said, smiling. "It's going to be such a beautiful wedding for everyone."

"Glad to hear it!"

Marinette retrieved her purse from her desk – which Tikki promptly flew into – and grabbed a straw sunhat from off her old coat stand. Pausing to consider the breezy weather outside, she snatched up a light, cream-colored cardigan as well, just in case the evening got cool.

She stopped at the trap door to look around the room, and the knot in her stomach from earlier clenched uncomfortably.

During her last few years at school, her parent's had started using corners of the space for storage, though of course they always kept her work area clear in case she needed more space outside of her class studio. But now, in just a few short weeks, she would be moving back in.

Marinette pursed her lips in frustration; now was _not_ the time to think about _that._

With an irritated huff, she hurried downstairs to find her parents, Alya, and Adrien chatting merrily in the apartment's ground level entrance hall. The door to the bakery was open, and she could see Edmund helping out a few customers. He caught her eye and gave her a wave before turning back to the people in line.

Her gaze moved to Adrien, whom she saw was wearing jeans and a light grey button-up. No matter how long she'd known him, he still managed to impress her with how he could make the simplest of outfits look designer. The sleeves were rolled to his elbows, allowing her to catch sight of his cat tattoo, along with several small, pale scars he'd gotten from the night she'd been forced to attack him.

He laughed at something Alya said before catching Marinette's eye and beaming up at her.

"Hey Mar!"

He reached his hand out for her as she covered the last few steps, and pulled her into a warm hug.

Marinette squeezed him back, and reached up on her toes to peck him on the cheek.

"Why didn't you tell me you were already here?" she asked, pulling back from him a little to make better eye contact.

Adrien's ears turned a little pink as he turned his head and reached up to sheepishly scratch the back of his neck.

Marinette raised an eyebrow; that was his tell-tale sign of hiding something.

Tom clapped him on the shoulders affectionately.

"We were just enjoying some good conversation, sweetie!" he chuckled, pulling Marinette's gaze from Adrien.

From the corner of her eye she saw Alya looking exceedingly pleased about something.

"I just didn't want to rush you," Adrien added, and Marinette looked back up at him. "I finished my meeting with Zachariah early and didn't have much else to do."

"And you know how Adrien and your father can be sometimes," Sabine said, wrapping an arm around her husband as they all regarded the two of them.

Marinette felt her cheeks grow hot at their attention.

"Um… ok?"

Sighing, she threw her hands into the air and moved for the refrigerator in the back bakery to retrieve some cookies and cheese, depositing them into her purse. If they weren't going to tell her why they were all acting so weird, then it wasn't her problem to pull it out of them. She heard her parents and Alya let out another laugh, and rolled her eyes, before feeling a gentle hand on her shoulder. Turning she saw that Adrien had followed her into the room.

"Hey, you ok?" he asked, a concerned crease forming between his eyebrows.

"I'm fine, just…" Marinette paused before deciding to not bother him with her concerns. "J-just… fine."

Adrien looked like he wanted to press the matter, but before he could say anything more, Marinette flashed him a bright smile and led him by the hand back out to where the others were.

"Well, we should be going I suppose," she announced. "Gotta enjoy the daylight while we have it."

"Yeah, I should be off too," Alya said as they all made their way towards the door. "Nino is going to be Skyping soon, and then I still have an article to finish that I need to get to my client tonight."

"Have a good night, you three," Tom said, holding the door open for them with a smile as they left.

"We will!" Alya said, waving goodbye as the door closed behind them. Turning to Marinette, Alya pulled her into a hug, and then quickly kissed Adrien's cheeks. "Alright, then. Have fun tonight! And send me pictures when – uh, well you know… _if_ you take any or whatever."

She shot Adrien a rather pleased glance before heading across the street.

"Send our love to Nino," Marinette called after her friend as she made her way in the direction of the nearest subway, feeling a little nonplussed by her friend's comment, but choosing to move past it all the same. Alya could be a bit weird sometimes.

"Definitely," Alya replied over her shoulder with one last wave.

* * *

Adrien shook his head, exasperated at Alya's less-than-subtle behavior. He saw a look of slight confusion cross Marinette's face before she turned back to him and took his hand, leading them down the street.

Plagg poked his head out of Adrien's shirt collar.

"Is Tikki in your bag?" he asked.

"Hello to you, too, Plagg," Marinette said with a smile, familiar now with how to-the-point the catty Kwami could be. "Yes, she is, and I've got some treats already stored in there for you too."

Plagg quickly zoomed off of Adrien's shoulder and into the bag Marinette was holding open for him.

Adrien heard him let out a whoop of delight, before both Kwamis stuck their heads out to grin up at their charges.

"I'm glad we kept her around," Plagg called up to Adrien, who rolled his eyes.

Marinette let out a snort as she closed her bag up again.

Adrien bumped shoulders affectionately with her.

"So, M'lady, where are we off to today?" he inquired, giving her fingers a squeeze as she proceeded to turn down a block full of small shops and outdoor market vendors.

"I thought we'd stop by Izzy's and get a few things?" Marinette replied.

He grinned, pleased with how much business Marinette had been sure to give his friend ever since he'd kept the shop open after hours as a favor for her.

"How're the plans coming for your Final Project?" Adrien asked, following closely as Marinette shrugged and stepped around an older lady with her arms full of paper bags of fresh food.

"Fine for once. Charbonneau knows all about Alya's and Nino's wedding, and all the work I'm putting into that, so she's permitting me to use some of those designs in my collection. Thankfully Alya is perfectly ecstatic about having her dress be featured on a runway."

"So is the rest of it going to be wedding themed?" Adrien placed his hands on her shoulders to steer her out of the way of a boy pushing a large cart full of produce.

"Um… more or less," Marinette nodded, distracted for a brief moment with a colorful display of kites that a man was handing out on the corner. "A couple other people are doing a similar theme, but Charbonneau agreed that they were different enough that she was fine with us moving forward."

"Well that's good!" Adrien prompted, a bit confused by her indifferent tone. "Hey… Is there anything else going on?"

"What do you mean?" she replied off-handedly.

Adrien raised an eyebrow.

"I mean you seem like there's something on you mind that's bothering you."

Marinette shrugged dismissively.

"I'm fine. It's no big deal, really."

Adrien opened his mouth to protest further, but Marinette cut him off.

"We're here! I hope Izzy got that new shipment in that he was going on about, it sounded like there'd be some really cool imports to sort through."

She opened the door to the shop, and a tinkling bell sounded.

Stepping inside this particular place was always enjoyable for Adrien, though he was sure it was nothing compared to the waves of enthusiasm that usually seemed to roll off of Marinette; it was a three storied shop, with each and every wall and surface lined with shelves upon shelves of every type of fabric imaginable. Long strings of exotic looking beads hung all around from the ceiling and the windows, refracting the light into a rainbow of colors. Spools of ribbons hung from the ends of each shelf, fluttering gently as people passed by. Buttons of all sizes and styles sat in drawers and glass displays.

The place was rather full of customers perusing the selections and standing in lines, either for help or to purchase. An old, greying terrier hobbled out from behind the counter to say hello, and Marinette bent down to rub his ears affectionately.

"Hey Jacque, what a good boy."

"Hello!" a cheerful voice called to them, and Adrien looked around to see Izzy waving at them from behind the counter. A tall man with dark skin and hair pulled into a ponytail, Izzy motioned for one of the other workers to take over for him, and he quickly joined them near the door.

"Izzy!" Marinette smiled as he pulled her into a one armed hug, while reaching out to shake Adrien's hand.

"I was wondering when I'd see you both. Final projects coming up, eh?" Izzy grinned at Marinette as she nodded stepped back again next to Adrien. "Is the wedding attire everything you envisioned?"

"Just had a fitting with the bride-to-be today, and everything looks like it's coming together nicely," Marinette replied.

"Oh, more than nicely!" Adrien added. "Iz, you should see this collection. Mar-bear has really created some masterpieces."

Marinette's cheeks went pink, and she nudged him in his side, but looked pleased all the same.

"Glad to hear it!" Izzy said, and then, clapping his hands together, "I expect you're here to see the new shipment that came in?"

"Absolutely." Marinette nodded.

They were led into a smaller back room where Izzy's team had apparently been in the process of organizing the new materials and distributing them throughout the store.

Adrien was pleased to see Marinette brighten up a little as she examined everything, though she still didn't seem quite full of her usual exuberance.

"You sure you're alright?" he murmured to her as she piled up their shopping baskets with this and that.

"Mm-hmm," she shrugged, climbing up to check out a roll of satin on a higher shelf.

Adrien sighed.

They left the store a while later, both ladened down with numerous bags. Marinette had gotten a bit carried away with all the new materials she'd found, and bought probably more than she would ever need for her final project.

Adrien didn't mind though, happy to help her carry her haul.

He was still bothered by how oddly she was behaving, however, and though he didn't want to pressure her to talk, he still wanted to know what was going on.

"Want some gelato?" he asked as they passed by a vendor serving out a myriad of frozen treats.

Marinette turned back to him, and then looked at the cart in consideration.

"It looks like they have your favorite," he persuaded with a grin.

Finally, she smiled and nodded.

As she stepped in line to order for both of them, Adrien caught sight of another cart selling fresh flowers. Scooping up a small bouquet of poppies, he paid and hurried back over to where Marinette was receiving their treats. He handed the ice cream vendor some money just as Marinette turned to hand him a cone of coconut and chocolate gelato.

At the sight of the flowers, she smiled up at him. She stood on her tiptoes to give him a light kiss in gratitude before continuing on, holding the poppies close and licking at her own peach sorbet cone as the shopping bags swung from her elbow.

As he followed along behind her, a slight feeling of disappointment filled his chest. He wished there was something he could do to help. But knowing Marinette for so long, he knew that she could be stubborn when it came to certain things. He figured that she'd talk to him about it if she needed to, and he sighed in resignation at the thought of waiting for that time.

"How do you feel about an early dinner?" he finally inquired, as they reached the edge of the long market. "What do you think of trying out that one old Mediterranean place across the river? We can take our time, and then drop this stuff off at your studio and maybe go for a nice sunset patrol?"

"I'd like that," she said, nodding in agreement.

They walked along in silence, listening to the general chatter of people as they did their shopping and enjoyed the refreshing warm weather. Snatches of music could be heard coming from different restaurants as they neared la Seine.

Adrien took the lead as they began to cross a pedestrian bridge, staying closer to the railing to avoid a group of bicyclists.

"I'm sorry I'm being so weird today," he heard Marinette say, and looking over his shoulder he paused, watching as she sighed and came to a stop. "It's really not fair of me to keep it all in when you're trying so hard to cheer me up."

Adrien turned around to face her fully as she placed her shopping bags on the ground, and laid the poppies on top of them. Leaning onto the railing of the bridge, she looked out over the water glistening in the bright Spring sunlight. She slowly licked away the last of her ice cream.

He waited patiently for her to speak, and when she did, it was in a resigned tone.

"It's silly really, and kind of selfish of me…" Marinette took a bite of the waffle cone, then continued. "There's just been so much going on lately, you know? So many things are changing… I mean I'm about to graduate and start working in that design firm. Meesh is leaving to go home to Mexico. Alya and Nino are getting married… it's just all becoming so new, you know?"

Adrien nodded in understanding, putting his own bags down and leaning back against the railing as he watched people and motorbikes pass them across the bridge. He finished off the rest of his own cone as she continued.

"And talking with Alya today, it just sort of… hit me. Alya really is moving out soon. And I'm really excited for her and Nino, don't get me wrong! It's just… she's my best friend, and I've gotten used to living with her. And now all that is changing."

"I know what you mean. It's going to be weird not living with Nino when he moves out, too."

Marinette nodded earnestly before continuing.

"And on top of it all, my lease is going to end in just a few weeks. And I won't be able to afford to find a place on my own… And while I'm _so_ grateful that my parents are letting me stay with them after that, it's just… I don't know…"

"It's hard to go back to living with your family now that you've been independent all these years," Adrien offered, and Marinette shrugged in agreement.

He couldn't help but grin to himself at the direction Marinette was heading. He had already made up his mind weeks ago about asking her to move in with him, but had never gotten the chance to really talk to her about it; she'd been so wrapped up in school and helping Alya and Nino with their wedding plans. But he'd decided to ask her about it that afternoon.

Tom and Sabine had guessed as much at his intentions when he stopped by their bakery earlier, and Adrien was pleased by how excited they were for them if Marinette said yes. And when they had mentioned it to Alya, she'd been positively ecstatic.

Before Marinette began talking to him about it on the bridge, Adrien hadn't been sure of what she'd think. Her parent's home was much larger and nicer, after all, and she did have more room to work on her projects in her old loft… but the more Marinette went on, the more he realized that maybe it wasn't what she wanted at all, and hope flooded through him.

"And moving is just stressful in general, but trying to do it when everything else seems so up in the air is just… gyah!" she exclaimed, reaching up to rub at her temples. "I don't even know how the next few months are going to go, if I'm going to fit in at my new job and all."

"You'll do so great, Marinette!" Adrien countered. "Don't sell yourself so short. It's going to be different and take some adjusting for sure, but– "

"And I want to be successful at it, but what if things don't work out?" Marinette plowed on, a slightly hysterical look coming over her face. "What if I can't get back out there on my own? I mean I guess I could work on trying to find a new apartment with new roommates, but even that in itself is such a project! And what if _that_ doesn't work out and I just end up spiraling and–"

Adrien sighed and shook his head; she always _did_ have a tendency to ramble a bit when she got worried. As he looked over at her, rays of soft light reflected onto her, and he thought it gave her a stunning, glittering quality.

When she turned to him, her blue eyes sparkled dazzlingly and his breath came up short.

For years to come, Adrien would swear that he had absolutely meant to say "Move in with me?" Perhaps it was the lack of oxygen getting to his head as the sight of her took his breath away. Perhaps it was some residual brain freeze from the gelato. But regardless of the cause, as his ridiculous luck would have it, his mouth chose that particular moment to not obey him, and instead the words that left him were…

"Marry me?"

" – and I'm still trying to make time for Finals on top of it all, and _you_ know how stressful that gets, so… wait, what?"

"What?"

"What did you just say?"

"I, uh…"

Adrien's brain seemed to be working in overdrive to catch up with his mouth as the realization of his words hit him.

"I-I didn't say!" he spluttered, feeling a rushing heat rise up his neck and spread across his cheeks.

"No y-you just said – " Marinette straightened off the railing, staring at him with her eyes wide in shock.

"No I didn't!"

"Adrien… did you just –"

"I-I mean, uh… move in with me?!" Adrien cried, now trying desperately to back-pedal and get the conversation on its original track.

Marinette stood frozen, still staring up at him.

Tikki had popped open the clasp to her purse to stick her head out and look up at him in surprise as well.

Plagg followed, smirking up at him.

"Looks like the cat's _really_ out of the bag this time!" he snickered before dissolving into a fit of laughter.

Tikki smacked him, trying to shush him to no avail.

Adrien sighed dejectedly. Turning away from Marinette's gaze, he leaned over the bridge's railing, reaching up to cover his face in embarrassment.

"Shit," he muttered into his hands. "I'm so, so sorry I didn't mean to... I just… This was _not_ how I meant to ask that _at all_. I mean of _course_ I've been _wanting_ to ask you, but I wanted to wait until after Nino and Alya's wedding so that we didn't steal any of their thunder or whatever. I was going to ask you to move in with me and _then_ wait for the _other_ question till later this summer or something! I was going to do something really big and special for you –"

"Yes."

" – and then it would've been so much better planned, and I already talked to your parents and Alya about it, but – "

 _"Yes."_

" – now though it's all messed up and I should _never_ have said that, without discussing it a little more first, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to be insensitive or anything, I just – "

"Adrien…"

" – and it would be great, you could use Nino's old room as a studio or work space or something if you wanted, but I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to put you on the spot or anyth– "

"Adrien!"

He felt Marinette's hand on his shoulder and suddenly found himself being turned forcibly to look down at her.

She reached up to put her hands on either side of his face, pulling him closer.

"Adrien I'm saying _yes!"_ Marinette exclaimed, her face breaking into a broad grin.

He stared down at her for a long moment, trying to understand what she'd just said.

"You… Y-you are…?"

"Yes!" she cried, gazing up at him with such a look of adoration and amusement that his heart clenched.

"You mean it? Y-you want to –"

"To move in with you? Yes. To marry you? _Absolutely yes!"_

Marinette shook her head and laughed as she watched him process this.

 _"You mean it?!"_ Adrien said, the realization of what she was saying finally washing over him.

When Marinette nodded, he whooped, filled with enough ecstatic joy to burst. Flinging his arms around her in a crushing hug, he pulled her into the air and spun her around and around as other people crossing the bridge looked over and smiled at them.

"YES!" Adrien yelled, setting Marinette down to see her laughing, her eyes bright with tears of delight. Looking up to see all the people peering their way, he leaned back a little bit to shout, "SHE SAID _YES!"_ earning a round of cheers and applause from those nearest to them.

Adrien looked down as Marinette covered her one hand over her mouth, blushing harder than he'd seen her do in a long time, mirth still rolling out of her uncontrollably as she nodded her thanks to the people clapping for them.

Their Kwamis were still looking up at the pair of them from Marinette's side, wide smiles on both of their faces.

"You're _such_ a _dork!_ " Marinette muttered, turning back to wrap her arms up around Adrien's neck, beaming.

"I'm _your_ dork," he laughed, leaning his forehead down to hers till their noses brushed. "The dork you just said you're going to marry!"

"Yes I did." Marinette closed the last bit of distance, pressing her soft lips to his. He could feel her smiling, warm tears now forming trails down both of their cheeks. Pulling back a little bit, he cupped her cheek, wiping his thumb lightly under her eyes as she let out another watery laugh.

"I love you, mon Chaton."

"I love you too, M'Lady."

 ** _Fin_**


End file.
